My Kind of Perfect
by Starbucks3894
Summary: Carlos is bummed about never having a girlfriend. Stephanie left him cold and all alone. So what happens when a pretty perfect new girl moves in two doors down? Well, we gon' find out. Carlos/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Hey there all! I decided to try out this story idea. Fluffy, because that's the best kind. Typical Carlos hilarity + new pretty girl = fic. If I don't get feedback, I won't update again. So if you like it, review! Don't just put it on faves or alert. I need to know, in writing, what you thought of it. :) Also, suggestions on the story's direction would be cool too. I mean, it doesn't HAVE to have a lot of plot, but some would be nice. XD OK, I'm done running my mouth. Carry on. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything BTR. Except their album.**

Carlos was bumming out about James and his new Palm Woods girlfriend. She was pretty and smart and totally not James' type. So how come James was the one to score the new girl, AGAIN?

He was just sitting on a bench in the Palm Woods park, moping and sulking, rolling his helmet around in his hands. He was humming a nameless tune, like we all do at some point in our lives, and thinking about how much he really would like a sweet, nice girlfriend. He surveyed all the girls walking past, and threw them all devilishly suave looks, in hopes that they would stop or at least blush and smile. But they looked at him like he was nothing more than a cracked nut, and huddled closer together with their gal pals. They and every other girl on the face of the planet kept on ignoring him and his miserable existence. He let out a high pitched, self pitying whine as he buried his head in his hands.

"Hey, being single isn't so bad," the little angel on his right shoulder told him.

He wiped away the tears that were beginning to prick his eyes. "It's not?" he asked his sweet, little, angel, that could never lie to him.

"No, it sucks," his angel told him sadly.

"He's right you know," the demon-on-the-left piped up.

"Since when do you guys actually AGREE?"

But he was alone again, and people were beginning to stare at him. He realized that he had probably scolded his conscience out loud, and decided to get out of there as painlessly as possible. He got up and walked away as diginified as he could, considering he was a romance deprived hot mess.

He walked into 2J even more down, because James and his super cute new girlfriend were cuddling on the couch over The Last Song. But Carlos knew that James was just super crazy about Miley and couldn't care less what kind of movie it was. Which took away a considerable amount of his cuddle-terminating ammunition.

He grabbed some soda or such from the fridge and went to his room without saying a word. Logan was sprawled out on the floor with some AP Calculus homework. Carlos went straight to his bed and threw himself onto it with gusto. Logan looked up only half paying attention.

"Hey bro," he said, bending even lower over his book.

Carlos didn't respond. Just looked at his hand-me-down bunkbed and all the little hearts and Alejandro + so-and-so = LOVE that his brother had inked in so many years before. He sighed. Then sighed again.

And again and again and again and again, until he was feeling really oxygen deprived.

"It's not OK for guys to cry, right Logan?"

Logan actually gave him his attention this time. "What's wrong buddy?"

"James and his new GIRLFRIEND!"

Logan practically jumped out of his skin at the sudden increased volume of his Carlos's voice.

"Woah woah! Calm it down a little, dude!"

Carlos practically dissolved into a puddle of woe and misery. He couldn't help it, it was just too much for his fragile, soft little heart. No love in his life took a hard toll.

"Hey, Carlos, it's OK man, it'll be fine..." Logan's words were in vain as Carlos continued to let loose the water works.

"Carlos, it's fine. Dont' cry anymore." Logan handed him a tissue. "Buck up, dude! You think you're gonna get a girl by acting like one?"

He let out a tremendous sniffle, before blowing his nose. It sounded like a horn, like in the cartoons.

Logan face-palmed. "Look, Carlitos, you can't be like this. You can't keep moping about how upset you are. It doesn't give you a good image."

"It doesn't?"

"You knew that, though."

"Yes," Carlos admitted ashamedly.

"So get over James new girlfriend, and before you know it, there'll be a pretty girl who'll be interested in you. Just be patient, and wait it out."

"Woah! Deja VU!"

"That's because we had the same conversation this morning."

"Oh."

Logan got up. Then he punched Carlos to his feet.

"OUCHIE!" Carlos squealed deafeningly, rubbing his arms, which were red with the imprint of Logan's hands.

"Get a grip!" Logan roared. Then more softly, "Look, I hear from Camille that a room has been bought on our floor. The resident is supposed to move in sometime this week. Maybe it'll be a girl, and now that only you and me know that, you can get a good start on her."

"OK!" Carlos said happily. "Good idea! Thanks brother!"

"Anytime, man." They fist-bumped, and Logan walked out, his book under his arm.

Carlos danced over to the shower, and sang a special song he had written for getting clean.

"Clean, clean, I love getting clean..." he sang.

Kendall banged on the door telling him to shut-up, but Carlos was much too high-spirited for that.

He put on one of his nicer shirts and decided he would take Katie out for a burger. Because none of the other guys could eat like Katie could. They had contests a lot. Carlos hadn't won even once.

But Katie was busy hiding Tyler from his mother, and none of the other guys were up for eating contests that night. So Carlos went to the nearest burger joint and had a contest with himself. Needless to say, he came home feeling very sick, and puked it all back up in a few hours.

He finally got to bed at around three in the morning, and as a result woke up very late. He was late for rehearsal. But Carlos didn't care. He sang while he dressed, and he sang while he ate, which didn't prove to be a particularly good idea, considering he had to attempt to give himself the Heimlich about a dozen times. So with bruised ribs and no ride, he ran all the way to the studio.

They were in the middle of a song when he entered like a whirlwind. They didn't stop or even make a motion that they noticed he had arrived. Carlos felt a little upset that they hadn't missed him, but he entered the booth and picked up on the song without missing a beat, harmonizing exactly how he was taught. He thought they sounded great. So did Gustavo, which was a rare occurrence indeed. He had very few words of admonition for Carlos, much to the boy's delight, and the rest of the day progressed as usual. Perhaps the boys weren't as spirited as they normally would be, but maybe that was because they hadn't had to cook up a plan for a few days. Carlos decided to cause some trouble to get them back to their regular selves.

He walked into the Palm Woods lobby to pick up a few boxes of staples from behind the front desk, and to get a few cans of flavoring from the slushie stand by the pool, in order to execute his plan. But something made him drop all the staples all over himself, and spill a gallon of blue flavoring down his pants. Twice.

The most beautiful girl in the world. She was perfect. Long, straight, shiny dark brown hair, pretty pale skin, and dark eyes with even darker lashes. He was still marveling over the cute curve up of her sweet little nose, when she passed him a towel.

"You have blue on your shorts," she said matter-of-factly.

"I know..." he said, still caught in his daydream.

"Are you going to clean up those staples?" she asked, beginning to smile.

"Eventually," Carlos said, dazedly.

She laughed. It was the best kind of laugh. She threw her head back and closed her eyes, and let out such a pretty little tinkling chuckle. It made Carlos laugh along with her.

"What's your name?" she asked him.

"My name is Carlos. What's yours?"

"My name is Maristella."

"That's such a beautiful name," he told her. He was beginning to snap out of the first stage of daydream, and to progress into the second stage: bashfulness.

"I like yours too. I have a friend back in Phoenix who's named Carlos."

Carlos nodded. Then he shook his head. "I don't have any friends named Maristella." He shrugged and smiled crookedly at her.

"Well, now you do," she said brightly, winking at him. He just blushed more, and she laughed again.

"Which floor do you live on?" she asked him.

"I live at 2J. Where do you live? I mean what floor are you on?" he said, resisting the urge to cover his face.

"I'm on the second floor too," she replied. "2B."

"Really? That's awesome!" Carlos said, bobbing happily. She bobbed happily with him.

After that, they faded into silence. Carlos just couldn't stop looking at her. She looked so pretty, and Carlos wondered if his luck was finally changing. Here was a sweet girl, who's name he already knew, who hadn't run away at the sight of him with blue slushie flavoring running down his pants and staples stuck in his arms.

When he cared to exit his dreamland, he noticed she had moved closer, and was picking staples off of his shirt and putting them back in the box he was holding. He smiled. Already, he felt so at home around her. He glanced at her face. Her eyes were laughing. He liked that.

"Hey, you wanna grab a smoothie or something? I know a killer joint about a mile from here." She nodded.

"Yup. That sounds very fun."

"Cool!" he replied. Then he started to walk out.

"Buuuut..." she said, plucking him back by his shirt sleeve. "You had probably better change your britches."

Oh. Right. He had forgotten about that.

When he was changed and ready to go, he came back down to the lobby, only to find Maristella talking to another boy who Carlos knew, but couldn't put a name to. He immediately bristled with jealousy.

But she caught his eye, and smiled so sweetly, his anger melted away. She said goodbye to the other guy, who watched her walk away with a rather pathetic look. Carlos grinned. Because she was walking towards him.

"Ready?"

He smiled. "Yup. Shall we?" he offered his arm. She took it.

Carlos imagined them walking away into the setting sun like the end to a movie. This was definitely the best day of his life.

**Remember what we talked about? Spin me a review! :D**

**xoxoxo**

**~Starbucks**


	2. Chapter 2

**AHHHHH! Six reviews? You guys rawk my socks. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint! Enjoy! ^-^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own BTR.**

Carlos and Maristella walked into the smoothie place at a quarter after four. Carlos remembered because he sneaked a glance at her watch, which was plum colored by the way, and saw the time.

He walked up to the counter confidently. He was almost done deciding what he wanted, when Maristella put her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear, "I may seem like I'll be sweet no matter what, but you should know..." She paused. Carlos was sweating profusely. His heart was beating irregularly, like it was drunk on her proximity.

She raised her lips against his ear. "I always buy my own smoothies."

Carlos had _no_ idea why this was so funny, but as she started giggling so did he. They stood there, at the counter, practically dying of laughter, while the guy behind the counter stared at them like they were a bunch of wackjobs who had gotten loose from the Looneyville nut bin.

When they had time to catch their breath, Carlos choked out what he wanted and slapped a five down, not even bothering to see if Maristella was serious about buying her own smoothie, beccause frankly, he hadn't yet met a girl so independent and... different. He had no idea how to act around her; what to say, or do, or even what to think. If a girl was _this_ much like a guy, surely she didn't joke about paying for her own smoothie.

But when he turned around, her heart looked broken. She looked ready to cry, to sit down on the floor and weep. He felt _so_ horrible, he felt like kneeling down and begging her to forgive his stupidity, even if he had no idea what he had done wrong.

"Carlos..."

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I thought you said... I thought you said, you always buy your own smoothie?"

"Well, I _said_ that, but I'm still a _girl_! I still _like_ other guys to pay for my smoothie. It's _gentlemanly_!" And she promptly burst into tears.

"Dude, just buy the girl a smoothie." The guy behind the counter was looking ready to throw up on both of them.

"OK, OK. What do you want, honey?" He had heard Mrs. Knight use this coaxing tone and address when she used to stop Katie from crying over her egg whites and yellows being mixed when she was little.

Maristella continued to cry. She didn't look up at him, just let tears leak from in between her fingers. Carlos pulled at his collar. This wasn't going at all like he had expected.

"She'll have a small strawberry-banana, I g- I guess."

He heard a few halfhearted sniffles from behind him and looked around hopefully. She was staring at him with blue flames igniting in her eyes.

"Small? Small, Carlos? What do you mean by that, huh? What on earth, can YOU mean, by buying ME, a small?"

Carlos felt his mouth open and close but no words came out.

"Are you implying that... that I'm FAT? By any chance?" she screamed.

"No, or course not, I just- I m- mean I d- didn't know-"

"Stuttering cheapskate..." one of the girls behind the counter mumbled. Carlos blushed. He felt like crying. He chanced a glance at Maristella. She was still fuming. He rectified his order hesitantly because maybe Maristella would think he was implying she was fat because he was now buying her a large. But she just sobbed a little, and went to go find a table.

He followed with the smoothies, and sat down heavily. Mirrors lined the walls, and he caught his reflection in one of them. He was pale and looked very shaken. What was he doing wrong? He had been nothing but nice to her! He had said nothing inconsiderate or hurtful or presumptuous.

She was still sobbing. Carlos sighed, and pushed her smoothie against her hand. She didn't respond. He left it.

Suddenly she popped up and stuck her straw deeper. She began to slurp, noisily and happily. Tears were still drying on her face, for heaven's sake! Carlos watched her warily, being sure to put on a sweet smile whenever she looked at him. They didn't talk. They finished their smoothies and Carlos walked out, daring to take her hand as they walked home. She didn't respond. Just let her arm hang limp. He was very discouraged.

They arrived back at the Palm Woods and walked up the stairs to the second floor. There he pulled his hand out of hers, and wished her a goodnight.

"You too," she said, before nonchalantly, pulling him in, and kissing him full on the mouth. She disappeared behind her door with that first shy smile.

His heart burst. Like a balloon when you sit on it. He leaned against her door, breathing like he had just run a marathon, unable to make any sense of words or emotions or feelings. He just felt... everything. Every emotion. Every single one. Happy, sad, confused, a little upset, euphoric, exhausted. He walked dazedly down to his apartment door. But didn't go in. He didn't know if he could.

He eventually found the strength to open the door and walk inside. The gang was clustered around the TV watching their music video for If I Ruled the World on some music channel or other. Carlos numbly plucked Logan by the sleeve and dragged him to their room. He plopped down on the floor, making grunting noises, because he still couldn't get any words out.

"What's wrong?" Logan asked, his brow furrowing.

"I- I- I- I..." Logan patiently waited for Carlos to finish. "I think I met the new girl."

"Hot? Not hot?"

"Hot."

"Ahhhh. And you... met her? What happened?"

"I took her out for a smoothie."

Logan looked briefly shocked. Then he slapped Carlos on the back. "Nice going, man! You scored the new girl."

"She's insane, Logan, mentally insane. I had no idea- and then she- and then I- and then she kissed..." Carlos let all the air out of his lungs. He couldn't talk any more. He hugged his knees to his chest and let the day come flooding back. It was almost physically painful to think of this failure. He whimpered a little.

"What happened? From the beginning."

So Carlos told him. The words tripped over one another on their way out of his mouth. They tumbled and tossed in their haste so that Carlos ended up repeating half of the key parts three or four times til they became intelligible. Logan slumped back against the bunk bed. Carlos was watching his face for a reaction.

"She is crazy."

"I don't know what I did WRONG!" Carlos cried frustratedly.

"I don't either man! She is just..." Logan let out a deep breath and shrugged. "I don't know."

"Camille's kinda crazy though! So you must know something about it!" he replied eagerly.

"Something." Logan chuckled. "I think your Maristella just took Camille's crown."

Carlos gulped. "What do I do?"

"You don't actually want to go BACK to her? Do you have a death wish?"

"She's the only one for years Logan, years, that has been willing to go on a date with me. Please, just tell me what to do!" Carlos surprised himself with the seriousness in his own voice. Logan was clearly surprised too. Because he gave Carlos a good plan. The only real plan there was.

"Flowers. Bring her flowers. All girls like roses. Bring her that and..." Logan tapped his chin. Then he snapped his fingers. "Bring her a poem. You're a good writer right? You and James killed writing the chorus of Oh Yeah."

"Yeah... we did kill."

"So get her two dozen roses and write her a sappy heartfelt poem. Never fails. At the very least it'll make her smile. Which is good, right?"

"Yeah..." Carlos said again, dreamily.

Logan chuckled, pounding his back. He walked away leaving Carlos to his thoughts. Which weren't so bad considering now he had a plan of action. He would win that girl's heart if it was the last thing he did. He was just afraid that would be it. The last thing he ever did. Because she was almost as crazy as he was. Almost.

**Tell me what you thought! I want to know it all, predictions, theories, all of it! I crave it. Seriously. ;)**

**Love you all sofreakinmuch.**

**xoxoxoxo**

**~Starbucks**


	3. Chapter 3

**Tada! A new chapter! ;) Hope you all like it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything BTR.**

Carlos woke the next morning in a chipper mood. Why? Because he was a man with a plan.

He showered and dressed in record time, scarfed down a poptart and shot out the door, down the stairs and to the flower shop, where he picked up two dozen red roses, per Logan's advice. He ran/skipped all the way home. He rocketed to his room where he plopped down in front of pen and stationary paper, ready for his mind to help him bust out a killer poem. But nothing came.

Carlos thought and thought and thought, but he still couldn't think of how to put his feelings into words. He thought it must have been because he didn't know how he was feeling. So he used a technique he had seen on Oprah. By ACCIDENT of course. He wrote Maristella a fake letter, a letter he would never send.

"Dearrrrr …. Marrrriiistellla..." he began. He tapped the pen to his chin and scribbled down a few lines. Ponder, scribble, ponder. And it went on like this until Logan came in to offer to get him some Chili Cheese Factory Fries. He shooed him away, much to Logan's alarm. Since when did Carlos turn down Chili Fries?

After about two grueling hours of constant head work, Carlos slapped his letter down on the table, satisfied. It took about two minutes for him to realize that he hadn't even written his poem yet. He sighed. Being romantic was hard.

He sat back and read his letter anyway.

"Dear Maristella,

I know I've only known you for two days, and that you probably think I'm odd and cruel or mean and weird. They all do. (He had crossed that line out.) But I want you to think about whether or not you could be happy with me. I've never had a girl go on a date with me that quickly. Usually I have to pay them. (He crossed that one out too.) I just wonder if you were serious. I sure seemed like you were serious, up until you started screaming and crying. I'm not really sure why you were screaming and crying, because I did everything you're supposed to, and Logan told me I did perfect. So I guess I'm just confused, because I was happy before, and now I'm not. Now I'm just nervous. I'm going over to your house today with a love poem and roses, because that's how it's supposed to go, isn't it? I still have to write the poem though. Maristella, I think I might love you because you're beautiful and different. I hope you aren't crazy, and I hope this can work.

Yours,

Carlos, the boy with blue pants."

He rather liked it. But now for the poem. He worked and worked but all he could come up with was a little Kindergarten-esque ditty:

"Roses are red,

Violets are blue

I've never met anyone

As beautiful as you."

Carlos just kept going back to her beauty because if she was crazy what else did she have to recommend her?

He put the poem in a little envelope and stuck it in the roses. He was really nervous now. Almost at her door. Almost about to knock. Carlos squeezed his eyes shut.

KNOCK, KNOCK.

He heard footsteps approaching. He felt so silly! Should he run? But no, Maristella was already turning the handle. He expected something like what brunette Jennifer had looked like at the prom. Craziness without bounds.

But the person who did open the door wasn't Maristella. It wasn't a girl at all. It was a guy. With sandy brown hair, green eyes, and a very long nose.

"Kendall?" Carlos asked, wrinkling his nose up. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, what are you doing here?" Kendall said, giving Carlos a look. "And who're the roses for?"

Carlos bashfully hid them behind his back. "They're for Maristella!" he said.

"Maristella who?"

"The girl who lives here!"

"The girl who lives here isn't named Maristella, she's named Aubrey."

"No..."

"Yes."

"Maristella."

"Aubrey."

"Maristella!"

"Aubrey!"

"That's it!" Carlos said, and made toward Kendall.

"What's going on?" a nonchalant voice interrupted.

Carlos and Kendall both whirled around mid punch.

"Maristella!" Carlos exclaimed.

"Aubrey!" Kendall said at the same time, so that it sounded a bit like "Maristellbrey!"

"Um..." Maristella/Aubrey looked very awkward. Then she pushed Kendall out of the apartment gruffly and pulled Carlos in by the hand. "Thanks for your help, Kendall, seeya later byyye!"

She slammed the door shut. Carlos suddenly felt very trapped.

"What's going on?" he said in a slightly high pitched voice.

Maristella/Aubrey rubbed her eyes. Then she looked at Carlos for a very long time.

"I'll bet you're pretty confused."

"Yep."

"Well, sit down, and I'll explain."

Carlos took a seat.

"You see, Carlos..."

Carlos' heart leapt at the thought that she had remembered him.

"My name isn't Maristella. Or Aubrey."

Carlos deflated. What the heck-?

"It's Elizabeth actually. I'm here from the Young Actors studio down the street. I'm not really a new girl. I've been living on the third floor for a few years now. I had a homework assignment to test how well I could make certain emotions believable. I had to get three test subjects. One had to be an extensive trickery session... such as a DATE..." she said, giving him a pointed look. "One had to be less extensive than the first and the last less extensive than the second. With me?"

"I guess..."

"Carlos that date? That we went on?" she said, looking regretfully at the roses in his hand. She gave him a small sad smile. "It was for my homework. I had to see if you would buy those fake crocodile tears and flaming temper.

"And you did. I'm getting an A."

Carlos was stunned.

"So... you... never liked me? At all? You kissed me... on the lips... for... homework?"

"Yup!" she replied brightly. "And that Kendall out there is my third subject. He's the intermediate session."

"And I was the extensive," Carlos realized mournfully.

"Yeah... sorry about that."

"I'm sure you are." Carlos was quickly going from mournful to a little angry. He thrust the flowers into her lap. "I'm sure you could get extra credit for these." He walked towards the door.

"I'm not letting you do that to Kendall. He just had a bad breakup and it would ruin him for good. You can find yourself another little test subject."

"Carlos?"

"What?" he grumbled.

She fiddled with her fingers, looking throughly guilty. Then she looked up at him, her blue eyes pleading. "You're a very good kisser."

Carlos didn't allow the little surge of hope that flared up inside him to last long. He was done being gullible. He was done being Carlos. If he couldn't get a girl by being himself, he could get a girl by being someone else.

"Thanks," he replied coldly. He walked out.

**Oooooooh, Carlos. Whatcha gonna do buddy boy? Haha, hope you all enjoyed it! I already have the next few chapters hashed out, so it'll be quick updates for awhile. :D**

**Love you all to bits.**

**xoxo**

**~Starbucks**


	4. Chapter 4

**YAY! New chapter! Enjoy, my lovely readers! ^-^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

The rest of the day passed fairly uneventful. Carlos had walked out on Maristella, or Audrey, or Elizabeth, was that it? It was all very jumbled around in his head, he couldn't focus very well on anything. They had a half day in school because they were supposed to record later that afternoon but Carlos knew he wouldn't be able to focus on that either. You see, Carlos had been very angry when he found out just how completely he'd been played. But being angry at the beautiful girl, couldn't stop him from feeling some sort of attraction, a strange sort of connection, towards her. He couldn't get the image of her, standing very close to him in the lobby before the smoothie disaster, picking staples off of his shirt. Her proximity and the gesture simply overwhelmed him, and the reaction when he thought of it wasn't much different. When a girl is so completely selfish, so thoughtless, so uncaring towards you, you're supposed to forget about her. You're supposed to see her for what she is on the inside, and not let a pair of beautiful blue eyes stop you from being resentful. But he couldn't. He just couldn't.

They were in the van heading to the studio for what would be, on a better day, a promising recording session. But Carlos had his face pressed up against the small window in the backseat, feeling so depressed, he didn't think any amount of catchy summer singles could possibly lift his spirits. To top all that negative emotion off, he was sitting next to Kendall, and his feelings of resentfulness towards him hadn't disappeared entirely either.

Logan was seated on his other side, and seemed to be exectuing his annoying, over-perceptiveness. He nudged Carlos in the arm, giving him a friendly wink.

"So, uh... how'd it go? This morning? With a certain..." Logan wriggled in his seat, obviously very sure his plan had been just the thing. "A certain petite, gorgeous someone?"

Carlos shifted uncomfortably. He could feel Kendall listening on his other side.

"It didn't," Carlos answered, hoping the tremors he felt inside didn't come out in his voice.

Logan looked briefly taken aback. "Well, what happened?"

"Later," Carlos mumbled, shooting a furtive look towards Kendall, but it felt very odd. They had never kept secrets or been private about anything before, the boys. They had shared everything. There wasn't a thing they didn't talk about or do as a unit.

Logan still looked confused, but half shrugged, half nodded, and turned back around in his seat. James was avidly mouthing the parts on Oh Yeah that he sang, which was playing on the radio. Carlos sighed.

They all piled out of the van when it pulled to a stop outside the back door of Rocque Records. Mrs. Knight said goodbye to all of them, and gave Kendall a kiss on the cheek, which he absentmindedly wiped off. She sped away, and the boys all went inside. Just inside the door, Kendall plucked Carlos back by the sleeve. Carlos gulped, then turned around to face him as Logan, his security blanket, walked away with James.

"Carlos, can you please fill me in on what the heck is going on here?"

"Wh- what do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. Don't play."

Carlos took a deep breath. "About Maristella?"

"Audrey."

Carlos almost stomped his foot. "Elizabeth actually. She told me when you'd left."

"How do you know she wasn't lying to you again?"

"How do you know she wasn't lying to you all along?"

"How do YOU know that?"

"I don't!" Carlos was breathing heavily. "I just trusted her for no reason because I thought maybe, just maybe she was crazy enough to want to be my girlfriend because no one ever had before!"

"Well I just trusted her because I though she might be the one crazy enough to pull me out of my Jo-depression! She seemed so...

"Perfect," they finished together.

Kendall looked briefly abashed. "OK, so a cute new girl comes to the Palm Woods. You met her first, _obviously, _and then...?"

"I took her out for a smoothie."

"And how quickly did this happen?"

Carlos shrugged. "Maybe an hour."

"That didn't clue you in, huh?"

Carlos snorted. "Nope."

Kendall rubbed his eyes.

"But she was completely crazy, a total wackjob on our date. She got mad, then happy, then she cried, then she laughed, and she kissed me and I just had no idea if I was in some sort of limbo between dreams and reality because it felt real but how could it have been?"

"Yeah I know! I think it might have been after that, because she caught my eye and offered her name, well she told me her second fake name anyway, at about nine."

"That was after."

"So she bounces from boy to boy... for what reason exactly?"

"It was for a method acting assignment," Carlos told him miserably.

Kendall blinked. Then he just yelled, "WHAT THE HECK?"

"SHHHHH!"

"An... ACTING assignment?" Kendall whispered furiously. "An ACTING ASSIGNMENT?"

"Yes. I know, Kendall, I know. It is so wrong that it should never happen, even in horror films." He patted Kendall's back maturely.

Kendall looked so in disbelief. "Well man am I glad I didn't get in too deep with THAT. That would have been a nightmare, dating a monster like that."

"Yeah," Carlos said, trying to sound confidently in agreement when he felt oh-so-uncertain.

"Thanks for bringing her into the light. I mean if you hadn't had come when you had..." Kendall shook his head. Then he stopped and gave Carlos a curious look.

"What...?" Carlos asked.

"Why were you at her door the day after she went crazy on you with two dozen expensive roses?"

"How on EARTH can you remember that?" Carlos asked frustratedly.

"Don't avoid the question."

Carlos sighed. Truth will out, he supposed. "I was trying to make up with her?" It was a half question, because here, in the studio, miles away from Maristella, er Elizabeth, and her searching eyes, it sounded so absurd.

"Make up for what?" Kendall furrowed his brow. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Really?" Carlos let out a long breath.

"Are you crazy?"

"Yes," Carlos replied promptly.

"Don't go back to her Carlos. She'll only hurt you. Someone with that little regard for the human heart really has no business being around people."

"OK," Carlos mumbled. But he knew he was gonna have to break that promise eventually. He just couldn't stay away from her.

Kendall said something about getting back to the guys and Carlos numbly followed. He felt so confused. Should he hate her? Should he...? But he couldn't, no. He just couldn't. He didn't know why, and that was so frustrating. He needed a shrink.

The recording session went as well as it could have. Carlos tried to lose himself in the heavy bass of the new track, and to think of nothing other than this happy bliss, of doing what he loved with the people he loved. Feeling in slightly higher spirits walking out then he had walking in, Carlos argued cheerfully about this and that, because that always had a way of making him feel better. It didn't fail this time.

They all piled into the apartment at once about four hours later. Four exhausted teenage boys ran towards the kitchen, stomachs chasing after them rumbling loudly. Katie hopped onto a bar stool and pulled out her DS, the mildly annoying music of Castle Smashers filling their ears.

"Katie, turn that down!" Kendall shouted, through a mouthful of turkey sandwich.

"Katie, turn that DOWN!" Katie mimicked, roaring back at him.

"You two argue too much..." James said, scratching his head.

"I'm going through my rebellious stage," Katie retorted.

Kendall snorted. Carlos was just cramming as many egg rolls in his face as he could before Logan realized he was eating his portion as well. By the time Logan returned from the sink with a glass of water, Carlos was leaning back in his chair, burping happily. Logan just sighed, and started looking for something else to eat.

"I should know better than to leave you alone with my food."

"Yup. You should." Carlos was feeling better. And more annoying. He figured he was back to normal. He couldn't even remember what's-her-face's name anymore.

KNOCK-KNOCK! Two sharp raps on the door jerked Carlos out of his food coma.

"I'll get it," Logan said, jogging to the door and opening it wide. It was Camille, smiling broadly. She gave him a hug and a peck on the cheek. Carlos scratched his chin.

"I still don't understand how you two can act all couply and not be dating."

"We're off again. We'll be on when we feel like it," Camille said, grabbing Carlos's soda and taking a swig. He swished around the remains. There were none. He crushed the can and made a perfect shot into the waste basket.

"Logan, have you met Lizzy yet?"

Logan frowned, sitting down beside her on the couch. "No, don't think so. Which apartment?"

"One on this floor. Either H or L. Not sure which. Only two doors down and you don't know her?"

Carlos gulped his invisible soda and excused himself.

"Stupid Camille..." he thought. "Stupid things Camille says," he amended.

Now he couldn't stop thinking about her. It was so awful. He lay on his bed, completely miserable again. He could understand why Camille like Lizzy so much. They were practically the same person, except Camille HAD a heart. Why she would be friends with someone who didn't, he had no idea.

A soft knock at the door made him look up from his bed spread. Katie slipped in.

"Wanna play Castle Smashers with me?"

"No, not right now."

"Wanna go get a hotdog?"

"I just ate."

"Wanna have a chicken fight with James and Kyle?"

"I don't wanna get wet really, not right now."

Katie sighed. Then she sat on the floor. Carlos was looking down onto the top of her shiny brown haired head. Little lights almost reflected off of it onto the walls.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked. "Why are you so mopey?"

"It's all HER fault!" Carlos said, smacking himself in the head, because that's where he couldn't seem to get her out of.

"Who?"

"Elizabeth. Lizzy. Camille's new method acting friend."

"You like her?"

"I think I do."

"Well, do you or don't you?"

Carlos thought for a second, then decided. "Yes."

"Does she like you?"

"No. I think she hates me."

"Bummer. Why does she hate you?"

"She method acting played me into thinking she was my girlfriend, then dumped me the next day to see if I bought it."

"Did you?"

Carlos nodded sadly. "Until I caught her pulling almost the same thing on Kendall. Then I knew. She was a big old beautiful jerk."

Katie nodded, like she understood all of that. "But you're still sad? Even though she's a heartless troll who has no regard for human feelings?"

"Yup."

"You're an idiot."

"Yup."

They sat in silence for awhile.

"You need a normal girlfriend."

Carlos sighed. "Yup."

"The question is..." Katie got a daring look in her eye. "How do we get you one?"

"Been trying for seventeen years, Kate. Not happening."

"THAT'S quitter talk! I will not have that in this house!" Katie remarked, leaping to her feet, and thwapping Carlos over the head.

"Ouch," he muttered.

"Get cleaned up." She grinned evilly. "We're going girlfriend hunting."

**Soooo? Didja like it? Tell me your thoughts! I love every word I hear from you guys! :D **

**Til next time. Mwah.**

**xoxoxoxoxo**

**~Starbucks**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello again, fellow fanfictioners! ^-^ Here's another chapter for you! I'm still working on the next chapter cause I think it'll be a logn one, and I'm having trouble getting it just right, but NO WORRIES! It will be published! :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't have fifty billion bucks to buy BTR, so no. It ain't mine. I don't own Yagoot either. I wish I did, but we don't get everything we want, do we? -_-**

"No... no... no..." Katie was pulling shirt after shirt out of Carlos's chest of drawers, promptly dismissing them as "unfit for girl-hunting", and tossing them over her shoulder, into Carlos's face. He had just spat out a red BTR shirt, which he had been given to him by Gustavo for tour. Katie told him it was "too vain, you're not trying to advertise the band, just yourself".

Carlos sighed. There were only a few shirts left in his drawer. Was he gonna have to go out and buy a new one with the Katie Knight stamp of approval?

"AHA!" she exclaimed, pulling out one of Carlos's shirts he had worn once. A purple polo. He grimaced.

"That one?"

"Uh-huh!"

"It's... it's purple."

"Purple is cute on guys."

Carlos narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure you're trying to help me?"

She shrugged. "Just trying to give you a personal opinion. But if you want, I can just... go?"

"NO!" Carlos floundered. "Stay, I need your help! Nothing else has helped! Even LOGAN couldn't help me!"

"Sheesh, fine, just calm down."

Carlos grabbed the dumb shirt. "I'll put this on. You go down to the lobby and scope it out."

"Aw, look at wittle Carlos, _finally_ taking control of his love life," she cooed, pinching his cheek. "Go change, and meet me in the lobby in five minutes." She walked out of his room, as Carlos started to pull his grey t-shirt over his head. He had some trouble working out which one of the holes in the polo was the head hole, and almost had to be fished out by Mrs. Knight, but when all was said and done, he was down in the lobby in no less than fifteen minutes.

He ran his fingers up and down his hair to make it stand up more, then ran all the way over to Katie before he realized he was supposed to be putting out a cool vibe. Katie scolded him for this.

"How do you expect to get a girlfriend when you run over to me like a lost kid who's finally found his mother?" She put her hands on her hips.

Carlos hung his head. "I'm sorry."

"Good. Now, look around. See anyone you like?"

Carlos did as he was told. But there wasn't anyone he didn't already know or who he was attracted to in the least. Everyone he saw, excluding Camille, who was arguing with Bitters over something trivial, had a bored, tired look about them, and even the pretty girls became unapproachable over their evident depression.

Katie gestured to the girls walking around impatiently. "See one you like?"

Carlos shook his head. "Not really."

"Gee, for someone who reeks of desperation, you sure are picky."

"No I'm not! I just know all of these girls. And I haven't the least intention of becoming boyfriend to a girl I see strictly as a friend." He crossed his arms and stuck his nose up in the air.

Katie laughed unexpectedly. Carlos looked at her. She had a merry twinkle in her eye. Carlos smiled sheepishly, not entirely sure what he had said that was so funny. It happened all the time. Carlos would be carrying on a normal conversation, and all of a sudden, someone would laugh or either leave in a huff or slap him. All the time. It really was a head-scratcher.

Katie wiped her eyes. "You're a riot," she said, reaching up and patting his shoulder. Then she looked around the room. "Time to change the scene, I think."

So, Robin and Hoodie found themselves on a wild girl-chase. Here and there, the beach, the mall. But every girl they decided was fit for the immense task of being Carlos Garcia's girlfriend was either taken or extremely weirded out by the fact that a eleven year old girl and a seventeen year old guy were out hunting for "a girlfriend for the likes of this sorry soul. No, not me, the tall one."

Katie decided she needed to hit the food court. Carlos followed, his feet making dull slaps on the mall flooring. He wasn't in the best of moods. His mood was so not the best in fact, that he had hardly any appetite. Hardly. Enough for a large fry and a chocolate shake. He found himself resenting the whole outing while he watched Katie eat her ice-cream sundae. He watched her go and throw the wrapper away, and then come back and sit down. He watched her look at him closely.

"It didn't work," he said simply.

"Didn't work... YET!"

Carlos almost fell out of his seat as she said the last word. It seemed like the entire food court was now watching the abnormal pair.

"What do I do?" he moaned. "No girl likes me." He was feeling very pitiful and sorry for himself.

"Buck up. I'm sure there is _some_ girl, _some_ where, who'll have you." She finished his shake.

"But where? And when will I find her?"

"All in good time."

"You say that, Kate, but how do I know you know what you're doing?"

Katie put on an injured look. "You don't trust me, do you?"

"Not really," he replied truthfully. "Given your prankful nature-"

"Well, I have ONE last alternative. After that..." She shrugged. "You might need professional help."

Carlos frowned. "Was that supposed to inspire me to make this last alternative succeed or just to make me feel beyond all help?"

"You decide," she said. Then she got up and gestured him over. He did, and stood in front of her, arms folded again.

"Listen Carlos." She lowered her voice. "Maybe now isn't a perfect time. Did you ever think of that? Maybe your girl isn't in LA right now. Maybe she will be, just not now. Ever think that you're inability to find true love is because it hasn't come your way yet?"

Carlos hadn't thought of that. He had thought he was just worthless. "I'm listening," he said intensely.

"OK. So, this last alternative will either prove or disprove your ability to get a girl. If it proves it, you might either have to settle or wait for the right girl. If it doesn't..." She shook her head.

Carlos was beginning to panic. "That's stupid, you just said she might not have come along yet."

So why did Carlos get the feeling that his chance had come and gone?

"I did. We just have to make sure you're ready for her when she comes. If she hasn't already, of course," she added.

"OK," Carlos said nodding and frowning at the same time, all this talk about ifs and if nots confusing him.

"Pick a girl, any girl."

Carlos gave her a skeptical look. "We already tried this."

"Well, try again."

Carlos shrugged then surveyed the crowd. A cute girl with strawberry blonde hair and gray eyes was just getting up. She was alone.

"That one," he said, pointing at her.

"Don't point!" Katie exclaimed, slapping his hand back down. He rubbed it, frowning.

"Ow."

"SH! She's coming!"

"HERE? Right here?"

"Towards here! SHHHH!"

"What do I do?"

"Just be cool. Use a cheesy pick up line! They say that they're dumb but girls love them when they're coming from a cute guy."

Before he could fully register that Katie considered him to be a "cute guy", she had shoved him towards the strawberry haired girl. He gulped, then took a timid step towards her.

She turned around right then, purse over her shoulder, and gave him a radiant smile. He felt relieved, walking right up to her. He tried to think of a cheesy pick up line. But none came. She was pretty. And she smelled like watermelon blow pops.

"Hi," he said, through a deep breath. "I'm Carlos." Wow, that was so stupid. He almost face-palmed.

"I'm Caitlin," she said, sticking out her hand, and letting him shake it. She was playing along. Carlos couldn't believe it.

"Well, Caitlin, today is your lucky day," Carlos said, grinning at her.

"Why?" she asked, shaking her head.

"Because you just met a potentially valuable new friend," he answered, winking. He surprised himself with his words and his tone. He didn't sound like himself.

"Have I?" Caitlin asked, smiling at him.

"Yup. And I am prepared to offer you..." He counted off on his fingers. "Full partnership in however much is left of your shopping time, and your very own Yagoot smoothie, all free of charge." He smiled at her. She laughed.

"That sounds way too good to pass up."

"Uh-huh!" He was starting to get apprehensive though. Things were going too great. Something was going to happen to ruin it.

"Shall we then?" she said. "My dad is coming to pick me up in a little while, but I should have about an hour. Is that enough time?" She twirled her hair. He didn't see Katie fist pumping behind her. Her eyes were too pretty to look away.

"Yes, definitely," he said. He offered his arm. She took it. He got a strange sense of dissatisfaction, but he didn't know why.

Accompanied by Carlos, she finished her shopping, and she seemed to really enjoy it. She asked him lots of questions about himself and smiled and laughed a lot. It made him want to smile too. He found out she lived in a condo about ten minutes walk from the Palm Woods and that she was here for her dad's new job. She drank her smoothie and went on and on about how sweet he was, and how much easier things would be now that she knew her way around town. He felt like he could really like this girl. She was pretty and smart. Perfect, you might say.

He walked her to the mall entrance when an hour was up.

"I had so much fun, Carlos." She smiled sweetly at him.

"I did too. I haven't had that much fun in a while." He was lying, as he later thought about it, but he supposed he said it because she was sweet and deserved nothing less.

"Well, good." She waved and started to walk away.

"Wait, Caitlin!"

She stopped and turned back around.

"I'd like to... to see you again. If I may." He played with his fingers, but didn't break eye contact.

She walked back towards him, and held out her hand. "Got a pen?" she asked.

He pulled one out of his pants pocket, praying it had ink. She turned him around and scribbled something on a scrap of paper, steadying it on his back. She turned him back around, and handed the paper to him. He looked down. It was her number.

"That's my cell. Call me and we'll hang out again." She gave him a small smile, as she waved goodbye, her dad honking the car horn loudly for her to hurry. He watched til her car pulled out of sight. He was left with an imprint of her face on his eyes. He started to meander his way back to the food court, when Katie leaped out of a small plastic potted plant, giving him his first real mini heart-attack.

"You did great!" Katie exclaimed, shoving him back playfully, beaming.

"I know! Things went perfect!"

"Much better than with that Lizzy chick!"

Carlos's heart sank. Katie noticed.

"You aren't still thinking about her, Carlos," she said softly.

"I'm trying not to. It's hard."

"But Lizzy's a jerk, right? Think about that new girl! She's great, right? Normal and nice and not crazy!"

"Yeah," he said, smiling at her memory. Still something didn't quite sit right. Normal, nice, non-crazy girls hardly ever worked out for him.

"So throw yourself cautiously into this new thing you two have. Start out as friends. All girls love a respectful guy. Slow and steady. Don't let her take it too fast either, cause that can be bad..."

"OK. Respectful. Got it."

She looked at him for a long time. "Things will work out Carlos. I promise."

Carlos frowned. "How can you?"

She shifted away from him uncomfortably. "Because," her voice went from Carlos's favorite kind of music to nails on a chalkboard. "I'm sick of you moping about being single. I'll do whatever it takes to get you a lady friend if it shuts you up about your love life."

OK. That was a lie. But she was still young. She was allowed.

"Time to go home," she said, yawning. The mall was closing. "You need to shower. You're sweating." She sniggered, then walked towards the door.

He watched her for a little bit, shaking his head. Then he ran to catch up.

**Ta-da! There you are! Review and make me a happy girl! I already love you guys... but seriously. There is no end to the amount of love I still have to give. ;) MWAH to you all.**

**xoxo**

**~Starbucks**


	6. Chapter 6

**Yay! New chapter! :D Just for you. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own BTR.**

Carlos's phone rang, and he picked it up. He smiled. It was Caitlin.

"Hey, Caitlin, how's it going?"

"Fine," she replied. "How about with you?"

"Fine," he said back. "So... what's up?"

"Oh, just wondering if maybe you wanted to go to the beach or something today to hang out. Met a girl who goes to my performing arts school, who's new to the area as well. So I figured it'd be a good opportunity to do her a favor too! If, of course, you want to go."

"Yeah, I do! So, I'll meet you...?"

"Oh, can you meet me in the lobby of the place where you live? My friend lives there too, so I figured we could all meet up there."

"Oh! Well, sure that'd be good." Carlos was a little surprised that Caitlin's new friend lived at the Palm Woods. But maybe he shouldn't have been. It was the home of the future famous.

"Great!" Caitlin said happily. "So, I'll see you in... two hours, shall we say?"

"Yeah, sounds great, Caitlin."

"Cool," she breathed back. "I'll see you in a little while, OK?"

"OK. Seeya."

"Bye!"

The click on the other end of the line signaled the end of their conversation. He laid his phone on his bedside table, and finished getting dressed, before galumphing down the stairs to breakfast. Katie was happily munching on a bowl of cocoa puffs, and James was eating an apple, perched on the counter. Logan was no where to be seen, but he could see Kendall brushing his teeth in the bathroom.

"GOOOOOOD morning everyone! Beautiful day out today, isn't it?" He grinned, and rumpled Katie's hair. He looked appalled.

"Geez, what are you so chipper for?" James asked, crunching a bite of his apple.

"Oh nothing. I'm just going to the beach today with a super hot girl and another potentially super hot girl, to, you know... teach em to surf, show them the area, you get the point." He sighed and sat down on a bar stool.

"Can I come?" Kendall rocketed out of the bathroom and onto his knees at Carlos's feet before Carlos could barely blink.

Carlos frowned. "But you're not single. Aren't you and Jo dating long distance?"

Kendall shuffled his feet. "Well, actually we agreed to see other people last night over skype. It's just too hard right now for us to be serious from different countries." He got back on his knees. "I am desperate for someone to get my mind off Jo, and since that little Lizzy jerk was a no-go-"

"Sureyoucancome," Carlos said quickly, just to get him to shut up about Lizzy.

Kendall fist pumped, then got some toast. Carlos all of a sudden wasn't hungry.

"I'll see you guys later. Gotta go and... talk. To people, in the lobby." He shrugged. James waved, content with his apple and his pretty girlfriend, who was waiting for him down at the pool. Katie grunted something that might have been "later", but Carlos couldn't be sure. He walked out.

The lobby was practically empty. He saw Camille perched on the arm of one of the orange chairs, so he went over to her. Camille was fun. She cwould get him out of his Lizzy rut. He conveniently forgot that she and Camille were friends, until he saw who Camille was roleplaying with. Lizzy shot out of a plastic plant, and prepared to catch Camille as she jumped from the arm of the chair. There was no way those weak arms could catch her. Carlos ran up to make sure they would be alright...

And ended up knocking into them, sending all three of them to the floor in a pile. Carlos felt Camille knee him in the intestine, and someone else's hand was tangled up in his shirt. When he cared to open his eyes, he found he was looking into a screwed up face, her eyes squeezed tightly shut as well.

"That didn't go so great..." Lizzy breathed, right into Carlos's face. Carlos coughed.

Her eyes shot open. When she saw who she was directly on top of, her face turned a shade of pink two steps down from red. She moved to get off of him, but Camille was laying on top of them both.

"Uh, Camille?" Lizzy wriggled, and Carlos himself blushed. "Can you get off?"

"I'm dead. I can't move."

"No Camille, you really need to get off." Carlos had closed his eyes again, because Lizzy had refused to look at him and it hurt.

Camille huffed. "You'll ruin the scene, but alright." She got to her feet, giving Lizzy another hard push into Carlos. Lizzy didn't waste any time and promptly jumped up and backed up. About eight feet, behind Camille. Carlos winced. Camille might've broken a rib with her elbow. He rubbed the spot gingerly, as he got to his feet.

"Carlos!" Camille exclaimed, thouroughly confused. "What were you doing underneath there?"

"Uh... I just... saw you jump. Tried to catch you." Carlos felt very embarrassed.

"I was going to already..." Lizzy mumbled, not meeting his eyes. He blushed more deeply.

"Yeah... but I thought you... well that you might not be able to."

"Well, that was whole point of the sketch!" Camille remarked. "She couldn't catch me, so we both drown in the river."

"Oh." Carlos scratched his head. "Sorry for ruining your sketch, then."

"Oh no! I think it made it better! I mean, who could've predicted there would be a third person who drowned, right at the last minute!" Camille smiled to herself, and shook her head. "Method acting is always exciting."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Carlos muttered, his mind adding, "And not always in a good way."

"I..." Lizzy mumbled. "I have to go. Sorry Camille." She practically ran towards the elevator, and jammed the two. She focused on anything but Carlos as the doors shut. Carlos frowned. What reason did she have for not wanting to be around him? Just it being awkward? I mean, she was the one who played with people's hearts. Not Carlos.

"So, where'd she have to go to in such a rush, d'ya think?" Camille asked thoughtfully, her head tilted to one side.

"I have no idea. But hey Camille... could you help me with something?"

"Sure, name it."

"Well... if you found out... that someone you knew... well, had just met, actually... had been using people to get good method acting assignment grades, how would you feel?"

"How would I feel? Um, I guess I would tell that person, that there's plenty of ways to get a good grade without being hurtful. It's a common starter's mistake. Common, but not any less hurtful."

"OK," Carlos breathed. That wasn't too bad. I mean, he wasn't going to rat out Lizzy, cause he knew that that would be very uncool, and besides, he hadn't heard of any more intense day long relationships ending in heartbreak, so she clearly had renounced her old ways. It didn't comfort him any, he found.

"Carlos? Is there anything else I can help you with?" Camille asked in a concerned voice.

"No, thanks Camille. You're awesome." He smiled a little halfheartedly, and waved goodbye.

He walked back up to the apartment to change into his swimsuit early, and then just sat down in the lobby, with money for food, sunscreen, and a beach towel. He watched happy couples walk past laughing and holding hands, and he felt like he was in the same position he had been before he had even met Lizzy. It was so depressing, it took a while for him to remember he had Caitlin now.

So why did that fact not make him feel ANY better?

When the girl in question walked through the lobby doors and smiled when she saw him, and the elevator doors dinged and the heartbreaker in question walked out, Carlos knew it would be just his luck if they-

"Lizzy!" Caitlin exclaimed, running up and giving her a hug. It took Lizzy two seconds to survey Carlos over Caitlin's shoulder, decked out in swim attire, and three seconds for the smile to fade off her face. Kendall hopped happily over to him, clearly ready for a day of fun. Carlos felt stuck.

On one hand, Caitlin was sweet, and he had been looking forward to a day with her. On the other hand, Kendall had been wishing for a sweet girl to help him get over Jo, and now all he had was Lizzy, who had tried and failed him already. On the first hand, there was the promise of the beach, and girls, and fun, but what fun could it be if Carlos was brooding over the girl not worth his time, and leaving the beautiful hearted one all alone?

Kendall rubbed his hands together. "So are they here yet?"

Carlos gestured miserably over to the pair. Kendall's eyes lighted on Caitlin. He smiled in a dazed sort of way. Then he saw Lizzy. His smile, too, faded.

"What is she doing here?" Kendall hissed.

"I don't know. I guess she's Caitlin's new friend. They go to the same performing arts school together." Carlos wearily rubbed his eyes. Someone touched his arm, and the sparks were so intense, he was hoping to turn around and see Caitlin. But he saw Lizzy. He sighed.

"What?" Carlos asked stiffly.

"Look, I don't like this any more than you do. When Caitlin said we were going to the beach with a hot guy, I hoped it would be my luck for that guy to be anyone but you."

"Well, how do you think I feel? How am I supposed to have a good time with Caitlin when all I can think about is how much I don't like you?" Carlos huffed.

"The feeling's mutual." She folded her arms. "Caitlin likes you, so forget about me, and have fun with her. I guess I'll just stick it out with your friend."

"He doesn't like you either," Carlos said, craning his neck around to see what Kendall was doing. It didn't surprise him that him and Caitlin had hit it off. He almost chuckled, before he realized what a serious situation he was in.

"So are we gonna do this?" she asked.

"I don't see a way out of it, do you?"

"Unfortunately."

Carlos stalked back to Caitlin and took her hand, looking back just once at Lizzy. She looked wounded. Carlos didn't feel any satisfaction at that. He walked out with Caitlin, Kendall at her other side, keeping his distance, but still engaging her in conversation. Lizzy walked behind them all.

They got to the beach with very little event. Carlos laid down all the towels, and Lizzy put up the umbrella Kendall had brought. They all sat down, girls on one side, boys on the other.

Kendall struck up a conversation about seashells. What's the first sea shell they ever found, what was their favorite? He seemed to want to take Carlos into the convo, but he only had eyes for Caitlin, Lizzy conveniently forgotten by everyone. Carlos told himself she deserved to be shunned for her little stunt.

But he didn't convince himself, because he just couldn't stop himself from saying something to her.

"I hope you got an A on your assignment."

She looked at him. Her eyes were sad. "Actually no. I got an F, and a retry. They said it was inappropriate subject material." She looked away again, concentrating hard on a wave that was rolling in.

Carlos shut his mouth. "Oh."

"Yeah, so... you should be... happy, about that."

"I'm not happy you got an F. I'm happy you learned your lesson."

"Learned my lesson... I'm not five."

"You're never too old to stop learning."

"What are you, a PBS program?"

Carlos huffed. "I'm just trying to get through to you."

"Well, good luck. I'm shutting you out."

"That's stupid."

"You're stupid."

"Quit being so childish! You're the one who played me, remember?"

"And you don't think I'm sorry for it?" she hissed. "You don't think I wish I could take it back?"

Carlos hadn't thought of that. He had just thought of her as a cold, unfeeling witch, who ran around splitting boy's hearts in two.

"I..."

"Being told you have immense talent and then being paid for to come to Hollywood from Arizona isn't exactly good for ego. You get a little... power hungry, I guess. You feel like you can do anything, because you got here."

"I know the feeling."

"I don't think so."

"I'm sure you don't, Elizabeth," Carlos said wearily. But that was all the talk time they had, because just then, Kendall remarked on low tide, and they all ran out to swim before it came in again.

Carlos dove under the water head first, salt water closing up over his head. He resurfaced. He saw Kendall tickling Caitlin in the shallows.

Now that really was enough. He should stop him. Caitlin was his date. His bit his lip.

Why on earth was he actually taking time to think about this? He should be over there, socking Kendall in the eye! But he wasn't. And he shook his head and slapped himself because he knew the reason why.

He didn't really like Caitlin. Not like he should've. He wasn't even remotely jealous of Kendall, who was trying to persuade Caitlin to go deeper into the water by grabbing her around the middle and hauling her out. Carlos actually smiled when he saw them. They were like... almost a perfect couple. Not at all like her and him. He had never really liked nice perfect girls anyway. It was no loss.

He still found himself depressed. Because yet another girl had escaped his clutches and gone on to one of the other guys. It was so typical, and Carlos was so tired of it. He waded out of the water and sat down, ker plop, on his towel. He watched Elizabeth broodingly. She was just resurfacing from underwater. She shook back her hair. Carlos felt like she should be in some men's cologne commercial, she was that perfect. She moved perfectly, her hair shimmered in the sun perfectly, and her eyes sparkled like blue fire. Carlos had to snap himself back to reality. Seriously? Was he still that much into her, even after what she had done? He cursed himself, and the rest of the world silently.

He didn't look at Elizabeth as she walked up. He knew his eyes would wander, and the last thing he wanted was for her to think he was checking her out.

"Hey, brooder," she greeted him. She collapsed into her towel. Carlos looked at her with his eyes narrowed.

"So what, you're talking to me now?" Carlos asked.

She shrugged. He sensed that the hello had leaked out without her paying attention.

"Gotta be on your guard, princess," he scolded her. "Can't go making friendly conversation now."

She actually smiled. Was it wrong that Carlos wished he had a remote to freeze time right then?

"No that we cannot. I still hate you, and you still obviously can't stand me."

Hate? He didn't hate her. He didn't hate anyone.

"Yup, I still really don't like you much. Don't think that's gonna change."

"Nope."

They were quiet. Carlos was determined to not answer her if she asked any more questions. He owuldn't talk to her. Wouldn't give her another chance to tell him how much she hated him.

"So..."

"Don't talk to me," Carlos said harshly.

"Geez, fine. Suit yourself. If you want to keep this silence as awkard as possible, that's on you, brooder."

"Suits me just fine, princess."

She frowned. "Don't call me that."

"Whatever, princess."

She sighed. "You're such a child."

"Back atcha..."

"DON'T!" She sat up quickly.

"Princess." He smirked as she launched herself onto him, punching him, not very hard, in every place she could reach. Well, excepting one. He guessed she at least had some respect for his future children in that case. He just laughed. Which seemed to make her even angrier. Eventually though, she tired out, and collapsed back onto her towel. She faced away from him, and crossed her arms.

"Awww, princess is so pretty when she's pouty," Carlos cooed. Then he realized what he had said. He gulped. He could see a corner of her mouth lift up. She huffed a little bit to tell him that she hadn't forgiven him.

"I hate you."

"Uh-huh, that's nice," he replied in a nonchalant tone. It was Your Love Is My Drug. Carlos didn't really know why he had this on here. He listened to it for a little bit.

Before he could look over to see where Lizzy was, he felt her arm press against him. He tried not to look at her as she yanked one of his ear buds out. He snatched it back.

"Stop it."

"What are you listening to?"

"Nothing."

"Let me listen!" she whined.

"Fine! Just shut-up, will ya?" Carlos pretended to be annoyed as she put the earbud in. She laughed.

"I adore this song!" She started moving to the music and singing. Carlos actually laughed. She didn't look very graceful. She didn't sound so good either. But something about her energy made Carlos move and sing along with her. Soon it was just the two of them, alone in the world, dancing and singing to an annoying Ke$ha song. Carlos wasn't surprised at how he felt, like his heart was filled up with sunshine.

And then the song ended. She took the ear bud out, and went back to her towel.

Carlos felt very alone. He felt like he could press that replay button until his thumb bled if only to feel the way he had when they were listening to a song Carlos didn't even like, dancing and singing in the sun. It was so stupid, it actually made sense.

**Haha, don't you just love how confused he is? :) He's a cutie. **

**So I hope you liked it, and definitely review and tell me exactly how you feel about this one. :) You can even tell me whether you like Ke$ha or not. I don't really, but I was listening to it at the time so there you have it. :P**

**I love you all TO DEATH and I will post again soon.**

**xoxoxo**

**~Starbucks**


	7. Chapter 7

**Finally... geez, what the heck happened to me? I swear this own't happen again. XD**

**Enjoy! :) And don't forget to review at the end! And make me truly happy. ^-^**

**Disclaimer: Don' own nofink, I don'. *insert Stan Shunpike accent here* *apologize for corny Harry Potter references here***

Carlos didn't really remember the rest of that day. He knew that Kendall and Caitlin eventually tired themselves out and came back to the sand. That the sun started to dip under the horizon and that eventually they left. They got back to the Palm Woods at about 9 and Lizzy departed, hugging Caitlin and thanking the boys, a little coldly if Carlos was remembering right. Kendall left with many backwards looks and sighs, and Caitlin returned those. Carlos watched them both carefully.

They really seemed to like each other. Leave it to Kendall to hit it off with a beautiful girl after knowing her for five minutes. But the weirdest thing about all of it, was how UN-jealous he was of Kendall. He didn't feel left out or sorry for himself, that Caitlin was the latest one who got away. He felt happy for Kendall, and understanding of Caitlin. I mean, she wasn't his type, and wasn't that what dating was all about? Trial and error? He was thinking too much, his head hurt.

So he told himself, he said, "Look. You like Caitlin. But you don't LOVE her, and it would be super weird if you did. Now Kendall, Kendall is the right guy for her, and you're not gonna get all mopey just because another girl that you just like got through your fingers. It happens all the time, and just because you cried over a break-up, ONCE... sniff, red-shirted girl, it does NOT mean that you have to be snivelly like that again, understood?" Geez, his internal battles were starting to get really weird.

He waited for Caitlin to watch Kendall go. It was late, and he needed to take Caitlin home to her apartment so he took her hand and they walked in silence halfway there.

Then Caitlin spoke.

"Carlos, I um... I realize that today wasn't um... like what I had originally thought it would be."

"Uh-huuuuh... because I brought Kendall with me, and you weren't expecting that."

He could've sworn he saw Caitlin blush. "I know what it must have looked like out there. But it's not what you think-"

"Caitlin it's fine, really."

"I feel bad though!"

"Well don't!"

"I can't not feel bad. You were so nice to me in the mall that day and I thought maybe you were gonna be, you know, the one, because I've never had an experience like that, and I didn't think I would ever again, but then Kendall came, and I just had no idea what I was feeling!"

"Caitlin?"

"I'm sorry, Carlos, I should've been paying attention to you, no matter how gorgeous Kendall is! You were my date and you're so sweet and nice and polite and sensitive-"

Carlos cut her off by pecking her on the side of the mouth. She stopped, and looked at him with wide eyes.

"Caitlin, it's OK. You like Kendall. And from what I've seen today, Kendall doesn't think you're too bad either." Outside he was calm. Inside, it was more like Independence Day fireworks. He may not have loved Caitlin, but she was still a girl, and he, Carlos Garcia, had silenced her with a kiss. It was always the other way around for him!

Caitlin hung her head, but she was smiling. "You really think...?"

Carlos took a deep decisive breath. She's slipping away, but it's for the best. "I know he does. And it's awesome that you and him hit it off so great! I've never seen two more compatible people."

Caitlin grinned. "Well, I feel a little better now..." Caitlin looked at him closely. "But I still feel really REALLY bad!" she said frustratedly.

"Listen to me, just listen. Be happy. I don't care about anything else, as long as you're happy. And it's totally cool. I'm really psyched for you, and I'd be really super-duper psyched to have you as a friend." Carlos gave her a hesitant smile.

Caitlin stopped walking. Carlos turned around. She was looking at him with her head tilted to the side, open-mouthed smile gracing her pucker pink lips.

"You really are something, Carlos. Something else."

He shrugged bashfully, and she took his arm again.

They continued walking in silence. Whenever Carlos looked over at her, Caitlin looked away hastily. He wasn't sure if she was having second thoughts about Kendall or whether or not she didn't know why he was letting her go. Maybe she was mad at him for not fighting for her? Carlos had no idea. Girls were so confusing.

They reached her condo. She invited him in.

"Nah, I shouldn't. Gotta get back to the Palm Woods. Gotta tell Kendall you got back alright."

"OK. Well, make sure you also tell him that he doesn't have to worry about me, and tell him that I had a lot of fun today. And that it would be cool if... maybe he called me sometime."

Carlos couldn't help but smile, half happily, half almost pityingly. This was too cliché. These sweet people who were so content with a perfect relationship would never know what they were missing. He tried to knock it away, but an image of Lizzy came up in his mind. A very pretty image. She was beautiful, truly. Carlos couldn't regret more the fact that they hadn't worked out.

"I'll tell him," he told her. She pecked him on the cheek.

"See you later, Carlos," she said quietly, smiling. She was radiant. Probably with happiness, with relief.

He waved goodbye, and walked away, with the weirdest sensation that he was walking away from an only chance. His steps got slower and slower.

Should he turn back? Ask her to give him another chance? He was sure he could be a good boyfriend, maybe not as good as Kendall, but he'd be alright! He stopped, contemplating.

He heard her door shut. She had gone. She would be happy with Kendall. Carlos would just have to keep trying.

He felt stupid as he started walking again. He felt like he had known the entire time that Caitlin was just an experiment, a girl-hunting catch, and nothing more. He had led his own heart on and allowed himself to hope for a love he didn't even possess himself. He didn't know whether or not, if Kendall were somebody else or not there, if he would have kept going with her, and eventually broken her heart. If that was the case then he was happy Kendall was there. Because Caitlin was Kendall's perfect girl. She was perfect in the eyes of the world.

But you see, Carlos's perfect was so far out of reach. She was probably back at her apartment, doing who the heck knows what. But he didn't care what she was like, or if other people liked her, or what she had done. He knew she occupied some small space of his heart, no matter how buried deep. No matter how much he denied, she would rest there until he either had the courage to forget about her, or the nerve and the humility to take it further.

He walked back into 2J to find Katie asleep on Kendall's lap Mrs. Knight drinking tea with her arms around her children, and Logan and James singing and playing guitar quietly in the corner. The flashing lights of the TV, turned down low, added to the homey feel. Carlos grinned. Time to calm down. He was done thinking about Lizzy. He would have plenty of time to think about her later. And even more time to dream about her that night, because her knew he would. His stupid, naïve little heart couldn't kick her out. No, for right now, Carlos was going into family mode. He sat down next to Kendall.

Kendall glanced over at him, and rubbed the back of his neck.

Carlos leaned over. "Feeling sorry about today?"

Kendall let out a quick breath. "No... well yes, a little." Kendall looked at him full on. "I'm sorry, for stealing your date today Carlos."

Carlos pretended to be wounded. Then he chuckled. Kendall just stared.

"Dude, I'm not THAT into Caitlin! She's pretty and nice and all, but DEFINITELY not my type."

Kendall looked as if he couldn't quite believe his ears. "Really? So you're cool if I ask Caitlin out?"

"Totally," Carlos replied, stretching out.

Kendall was quiet for a moment. "Thanks, man. Means a lot. I mean, I never thought I'd find someone who could replace Jo. But, I think with some work and all the right moves, maybe..." Kendall shrugged. "Who knows?"

"Just don't hurt her Kendall. She's a sweet girl."

"I know. I won't."

Carlos leaned back. Everything sorted out. And it would be cool to see Kendall happily in a relationship again.

So at the end of the day, the loose ends of that string tied up. But the rope of the problem, and all those unraveled strings and strands, Lizzy being one, Carlos's screwed up idea of perfect being another, lay intertwined and collected messily into one big heap. It made his heart heavy with the weight of it. He could only hope, someday, that that rope was woven together perfectly, and the ends snipped off neatly.

**Short. I promise to have another one up in three days time. On. The. Dot. PM me if you're mad at me. XD**

**LOVE YOU ALL! Thank you guys for bearing with me, and still reading.**

**xoxo**

**~Starbucks**


	8. Chapter 8

**Tada! Here you go! :) I'm trying to keep up on things, despite how insanely busy I am with teaching this year. XD Thank you for your patience. ^-^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own NOTHING. Which means I own SOMETHING. But not BTR, so don't worry.**

Carlos was in the gym the next day when it happened. Any resistance to his love for her broke down inside of him.

He was just calmly pumping his guns, doing crunches, that sort of thing, when she walked in. The first thing he noticed that he adored about her was that she wasn't skimpily dressed. No sports bra and teeny shorts here. Just a huge baggy t-shirt and yoga pants. Her shoes were old and dirty, no make-up, which only made her eyes look bluer. Her long dark waves were pulled back into a French braid, with strands hanging loose here or there, and she had a few cowlicks. He noticed that even though she defied the definition of a pretty girl, every guy in the gym had their eyes on her. He couldn't help but be jealous. He tried to focus on pumping iron.

That didn't work. He couldn't focus on his work-out with her not twenty feet from him, running on the treadmill. He put his dumbell down, and walked over to her. He ventured a hello. She looked at him, but didn't respond. She went on running, at a much higher speed than he had seen most girls do.

Carlos cocked his head. Her feet looked like they were running on pavement, the steady heel-toe of someone who runs in the street.

"You always run on a treadmill?" he asked.

"No, not always."

"Play any sports?"

"I used to run track. And I play volleyball."

Carlos nodded. He hadn't taken her for a sporty girl. He figured now was as good a time as any to find out some more about her. As long as she would answer him, of course.

"Did you play for your school?"

"Yup."

"Where's it at?"

She slowed down her speed, but said nothing.

"I've played hockey for my school since I was five," he decided to volunteer. "Well, not any more, but I used to."

She kept her eyes ahead of her.

"It was a lot of fun. I like to play sports. Don't really watch it, but I play some football, you know just the basic stuff, running around passing, catching-"

"Why are you talking to me?" She had stopped her treadmill, and was now focused on him with genuine curiosity in her eyes.

Carlos felt very put on the spot. He shrugged, deciding to play it cool. For whatever reason he didn't want her to know that he liked her.

She started walking again. "I thought you hated me. For playing you."

Carlos was immediately about to say, "I don't hate you," but he didn't. He just shrugged again. She frowned and continued walking.

"Don't you have anything to say? You were pretty chatty just now."

"Well, I was trying to make conversation, wasn't I?"

"Why? You just basically said that you hate me, so why would you bother with the civilities?"

"_Because you don't hate her Carlos. Tell her that! Reassure her! She seems pretty upset about it all."_

But Carlos just stayed quiet.

Why are you so... freakin' confusing...?" she muttered. She stepped off the treadmill, grabbed her bag, and started to walk away.

Carlos didn't stop her. Until he saw she wasn't leaving the gym, just going over to an elliptical. He followed her.

"I'm not confusing! You're the one who practically climbed onto my lap the other day and jammed to Ke$ha with me. And now you're cold and distant, like it never even happened!"

Was she blushing? He could have sworn he saw a pink tinge spread up her neck and onto her ears.

"So what? I wanted to know what you were listening to, and rather than yanking the buds out of your ears, I was polite and took one, and sat down. Next to you. What's so confusing about that?"

Carlos sputtered, because no matter how absurd she was being she was making sense. Any person who walked in on the convo now would definitely take her side.

"Say something intelligible."

"If I knew what that meant," Carlos answered in a dignified way, "I would answer you."

Lizzy sighed and rolled her eyes, and cracked the first genuine smile Carlos had seen in this encounter.

"Say something that makes sense once in a while, won't you?"

"OK," Carlos replied stupidly.

Lizzy started up on the elliptical. Carlos sat down next to it. She gave him a withering look. Carlos took it in stride.

"So where did you go to school?"

"I lived down in Arizona. Haven't I already told you that? Went to the local high-school. Nothing special, but the track was fun."

"How about your grades?"

Lizzy didn't answer for a little bit. Carlos decided to wait for her to answer, rather than drill her with more questions.

"I'm not good with school. I always mess everything up. It's hard for me to remember stuff." She shrugged. "Add that to the fact that I'm a failure in the eyes of my parents for wanting to go to acting school, and not become a doctor or a lawyer or something that makes a lot of money, and school was kinda suckish. I don't have a lot of good memories."

Carlos was very sober. He wasn't horrible at school, but he got by. And the fact that he had Logan tutoring him in a lot of stuff made his life a whole lot easier.

She had moved on. She was jabbering away with a far away look in her eyes.

"I have a lot of brothers and sisters, so the fact that I didn't want to go to college and get a career and help my parents out, monetarily, you know? It really ticked them off. I wasn't allowed to be passionate about what I wanted, and it took forever for them to accept the fact that I'm not smart enough to go to law school. My aunt paid for me to come out here. I'm supporting myself now with the scholarship to my school, but it's still hard to think that if my aunt _hadn't_ offered, I'd still be stuck with a guidance couselor explaining "my options" to me." He could've sworn he saw her shudder.

"Well, I'm glad your aunt helped you then."

She turned her face away. He saw a side profile. She was smiling.

"I don't have any sisters. Just one brother. And a whole lot of aunts and uncles, but I was never really close to any of them."

"And your parents?"

"My dad's a cop. And my mom... my mom... I don't really remember what she is." He grinned sheepishly. She laughed.

"My dad was a chef, and my mom was just stay at home. Which is ironic, considering they wanted be to go out and be somebody."

"I bet you're happy your mom stayed at home. I rarely even saw my mom. My brother practically raised me. I mean, she didn't mean it that way, but that's how it worked out."

"And what's your ambition? What do you wanna be when you grow up?" she asked.

He smiled. "I used to wanna be a cop, like my dad. But then I joined peewee hockey, and I wanted to be a hockey player. And now cause of the band, singing sounds like an awesome job, if I can pull it off. But who knows?" He shrugged. "That might change too."

"You sound flighty."

"Maybe I am. And then again, maybe I'm not. I have a hard time figuring myself out."

Lizzy gave him a long look. A long understanding look. He had a feeling that she really did understand. That she really did understand how it felt to not understand her own inner workings. Maybe they were that couple. That couple who has no idea if they're a couple or not. Who has no idea about anything, but are perfect for each other anyway. He hoped they were. Or would be eventually.

They gym had slowly emptied around them. Lizzy had stopped exercising, and was now sitting quietly on the seat of the elliptical. Neither of them said much.

The lobby got quiet outside as people filed out to get dinner. Carlos decided to pluck up the courage to ask Lizzy an important question. One that would either make him very happy, or break his heart.

"Elizabeth?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you wanna go and get something to eat?"

Lizzy stared at him. "With you?"

Carlos gulped. Then nodded.

She got up. "Carlos you are so confusing."

Carlos's heart sank as he got to his feet.

"But, yeah. I'm pretty hungry. I could go for a burger." She walked out. It took Carlos a minute to realize that she had said yes. He did a little skip. Then followed her out.

She was walking pretty quickly, but Carlos didn't want her to slow down. He feared they might have to have apolite conversation and what fun would that be? So he sped up. She sped up. She was always just ahead. So Carlos figured, what the heck? Life is short. And so, he pushed past her, and began to flat out run.

He guessed she must have been kinda surprised, because he didn't hear her pick up her speed til about five seconds later. Then they raced, up one street and down another. Past the place they were supposed to be eating, and past every place Carlos knew. They ran and ran, and Carlos felt her coming up behind him. But his legs were heavy with adrenaline, and he began to slow down. She had overtaken him in a second. He was so breathless, but he laughed all the same. He watched her thin frame become smaller and smaller, as she got faster and he slowly came to a stop. HE didn't know why she was still running, or if he could go after her, but at that particular moment, he didn't really care. He was in unfamiliar territory, and before he caught his breath, he realized he had no idea how to get back. Not that it mattered. A bus back to the Palm Woods couldn't cost so much.

Except he had no money. He stamped his foot. Leave it to Lizzy to get him into something like this. He sat down on a bench and put his head in his hands.

It grew dark as he sat there. He didn't know where to go. He didn't know what to do. So he decided to sit there until he did. The night life started to pick up around him. He heard footsteps all around. HE lifted his head. It was very dark. Nighttime already. He got to his feet. He guessed he had better start walking if he was gonna get home any time soon.

A small tap on his shoulder made him turn around. A pair of very blue eyes stared at him in amazement.

"What are you DOING here?" Lizzy demanded.

"What are you doing here? How did you find your way back here?"

"You do know that you're one block from the hotel?" Lizzy told him. "I walked to get something to eat."

Carlos stared at her open mouthed, not sure whether to hit her, laugh, cry, or just continue standing there.

"Come with me," she said harshly, and she took his hand, not so harshly. He let her lead him back home, up to his apartment.

He rubbed the back of his neck.

"You're not very bright."

"I know that," Carlos retorted. "I never have been."

"You didn't even try and make your way back."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Oh, don't be sorry. It didn't hurt anyone but you anyway." Her tone was so accusing that he felt truly crushed. Until he saw the sweet look in her eye, and the contradicting smile to her tone. He smiled a little crookedly.

"You're just so cute sometimes," she said, pinching his cheeks. He just stared at her as she blushed, realizing what she had just done.

"Tell me whether you mean that."

"Goodnight!" she said loudly. She turned on her heel.

"NO!" He grabbed for her arm. She swiped it out of his grasp, huffing, and walking away backwards, still facing him.

"Why do you care anyway?"

"I CARE OK? Quite asking me why I even care cause I don't know! I don't know why I care about you! You're cruel and bipolar and rude and distant and it's TOTALLY ADORABLE! And I freaking hate it, do you understand? I. Hate. It."

"You hate how you care about me? Who's the bipolar one now?"

"Still you!"

"Don't lose your temper!"

"You make me lose my temper! If you would just-"

"What? If I would just what?" she yelled.

"Kiss me! For real!"

"Fine!"

Carlos tapped his foot and waited.

"Well?"

"I can't like this! It's embarassing."

Carlos sighed. "Whatever. Goodnight." And he went inside.

He could not believe what had just happened.

He could not believe he had said everything that came to his mind. And she hadn't responded positively. At all. It was so heartwrenching, Carlos found himself sinking back into his old hopelessness. Nothing had changed. And nothing ever would. He considered drowning himself in the shower. But he was too tired to shower, so he went to bed. And he even cried a little.

It was a sad day for Carlos Garcia. But it was the beginning of something. Something he wouldn't regret.

**:) Review! Tell me where you think it's gonna go! And to all those, who are dissatisfied with the story, I'm really sorry, I try. :( I really do. I wish I could do better. **

**Til we meet again, dear readers...**

**xoxo**

**~Starbucks**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey wonderful people! So I conquered my laziness and wrote a few new chapters... I have no idea what's coming next so don't ask. XD I'll get some inspiration at the inspiration market later. *insert wishful thinking***

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything.**

Carlos was still upset three days later when a timid knock disrupted dinner on Tuesday night. Kendall wiped his hands on a napkin and jogged to the door, throwing it open wide.

Carlos' eyes got very wide when he heard a small cough and an all too familiar voice speak clearly and, Carlos thought to himself, almost a little regretfully.

"Hi, Kendall."

Kendall scoffed a little. "Can't believe you actually remember my name, being I was just a test subject and all. I'm flattered, really," he said mockingly, placing a hand on his chest.

"You're very funny, but as much as I really apologize about my reckless method acting days and assure you that they are now _completely_ over, I'm not here to see you."

Carlos got quickly up from his seat, unable to decide if he should run to the door and save Kendall any further trouble, or run away and save himself any further trouble. He decided on the second one, tripping over his own two feet to get to his room down the hall.

"Garcia!" Lizzy called. "Time to stop being clutzy and running away. Time to get out here. I've got something _very_ important to say."

Carlos froze. Her voice shook in the slightest, and although Carlos was very curious, he was also very, terribly, mortally afraid. And he figured the fear canceled out the curiosity. He tiptoed quietly down the hall.

"Just go, Carlos," Kendall said, rubbing his eyes. He looked embarrassed as he moved out of the way, leaving Carlos' crouching form exposed. Carlos straightened out and shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. Lizzy's eyes were very red. And very puffy. And a tissue stuck out of her pocket, no matter how hard he was sure she had tried to hide it.

He walked slowly over to her, and after obtaining a reassuring look from Kendall, he left the apartment in complete and utter silence, James' and Logan's mouths still hanging open over the dinosaur chicken Mrs. Knight had provided. The door clicked softly shut behind him.

Face to face, alone with the girl he loved to death, but couldn't stand, he found he was absolutely speechless. Things to say jogged around in his brain but he couldn't make one pass his lips. He felt glued to the floor.

Lizzy looked at the ground for a few precious seconds before Carlos had to look at her teary eyes again. It was pretty bad. He never thought he would hate the aftermath of tears, because usually they meant good things. But red skin around blue eyes only makes them look bluer, and since they were very sad, Carlos found it hard to act how he normally would.

"Why are you crying?" Carlos asked her gently.

She sniffed into her sleeve. "I'm sorry," she said. "I know guys think it's stupid to cry."

Carlos shrugged. It had never been a particularly big thing for him. He had cried if he felt like it. It wasn't bad or anything. "It's good to cry," he told her. "You feel better after."

"But see, that's the thing. I don't feel better. I've cried for forever it seems like, and I still don't feel a mite better than I did when I started."

"And why did you start?"

She shuffled her foot. "I don't know..."

But Carlos thought he knew. He thought he did, mind you, and he knew it would probably be too much to hope for, anyway.

"Were you crying because... because things aren't going good at school?"

She shook her head.

"Because things aren't going good at home?"

Shake.

"Because you haven't made any other friends?" Note "other".

Shake. This time she peered at him closely. He knew she knew what he was going to say next.

"Did I make you cry?"

She hesitated, then nodded. It practically broke his little heart.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. You make me mad sometimes. That's all." He tried to give her a smile. "I'm not mad now."

"Yeah, well, that's only because I had to let loose the waterworks on you! That always sobers people up. You were mad at me before I came knocking on your door I bet."

Carlos started to retort, then stopped. It was true, he had been. He didn't tell her that of course. Instead, he decided to cut his losses.

"Did I make you cry because I got mad?"

"You didn't get mad. You just..." She raised her shoulders. "Left."

"Oh."

She was quiet for a minute. Then she mumbled, "You did the thing I wasn't expecting, the last thing I wanted. I thought you would just keep arguing with me. Or... or I would've... kissed you, you know? If you had stayed."

Carlos froze. He wasn't sure whether she was still referring to kissing him as bad or good.

"Well, I am sorry. I just..." Carlos shrugged and sighed. "I dunno. I don't know anything anymore."

Lizzy looked at him for a moment. "You do believe I'm sorry... for being so mean and using you like that before, right?"

Carlos half-nodded, because as dumb as it was, that wound still stung.

"You don't believe me."

"Yes, I do, Elizabeth."

She turned away and wiped her eyes frustratedly. "I don't know what I can say to convince you how sorry I am! What do you want me to do, Carlos?"

"I don't know," Carlos said loudly. "I just wish..." He rubbed his eyes. "I just wish we could start over. All over."

Lizzy looked at the ground. "I kinda wish that too." She shook her head a little bit. "But we can't. Life doesn't come with a rewind button." She shrugged. "Besides, without you, I wouldn't have realized that taking acting to that extreme was wrong. I would probably still be doing it."

Carlos found that hard to believe, but he believed in his heart that she was sorry for what she did. She was just a bit flighty, that's all. She couldn't get her emotions in order. Here today, gone tomorrow. But, for whatever reason, be it pity or something else, that was OK with him. He still liked her. Maybe because she wasn't perfect. Maybe he would still like her if she wasn't, but probably not. One probably among a thousand maybes can make you feel better.

They stood in silence.

"I believe you, Lizzy," Carlos told her finally. "I really do."

Lizzy beamed. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"And Carlos?"

"Mhm?"

"I really would've kissed you the other day. I was just a little mad at you, too."

This revelation caused Carlos to be filled with a kind of happy feeling he couldn't quite suppress. It caused him to be a little confident. Confident enough to ask her a very important question.

"Lizzy, would you kiss me... in a car?"

She frowned. She didn't get it? She would.

"Near or far? On a train? On a plane?"

Her face slowly stretched into a smile. Slowly, very slowly, her eyes lit up.

"Here, or there, or anywhere?"

"With a smile not a frown, I would kiss you here and now," she replied, smiling at him from under her lashes.

Carlos nervously sort of, ambled, for lack of a better word, forward. He had never really hugged her before. He was kind of afraid to touch her. She held his hand. He just stared at it for a little while. It all felt so much like a dream, he was still waiting to wake up. He raised his eyes to her face. She was looking at their hands too. He placed his other hand on her arm. She looked at him.

In the split second he had to see her eyes before it happened, Carlos knew it wasn't a dream, but he still couldn't believe what was happening. Not only was the approach corny, but the execution was messy and insensitive. He had no idea why she would kiss him, or even if she would. Was he doubting? He couldn't tell, because the moment had come, and it was hard to doubt when the proof was staring you in the face. You know the phrase, "everything melted away?" He had never gotten it til then. The moment the first skin of their lips touched, the world disappeared. Carlos had never, _ever_, felt anything he didn't want to end. But this was it. This was _it_. The thing all the love songs talk about. Soft skin, long hair, blue eyes. Everything he had never knew he wanted, but needed for so long, was standing in front of him, wrapped in his arms.

And as suddenly as it happened, no matter how he had never dreamed he would be kissing his kind of perfect at the end of just another day, Carlos wouldn't have changed a single thing about it.

**:) I think they're just adorable. I'm gonna try and layer some complexity of character later on. **

**So, where do you think the story should go guys? Huh? Gimme some ideas, suggestions, anything would be appreciated. :)**

**Bye for now!**

**xoxo**

**~Starbucks**


	10. Chapter 10

**Heeeey there... ^-^ Yes. I know. It's been a decade. But I think I'm back. For a little while. XD Anyway, enjoy this! I think I have it all wrapped up. ;) But you'll find out in the next few chapters. **

Carlos woke up the very next morning to about a hundred texts from his new girlfriend. Girlfriend, ha. It sounded to wonderful to finally say it. He swung his legs out of bed, hopped to his feet, and raised his arms in a very tall streeeeetch, letting out a yawn that would have put most immediately post-hibernating bears to shame. He walked out of his room with a pep in his step, not even realizing that he was being very loud, and that it was seven in the morning, much too early for Katie. She stuck her head out of her room, and thwapped him in the shoulder, and to the floor, as he walked past. He just got up and ruffled her hair. He walked away, leaving her open-mouthed, tousled, and extremely confused.

He had figured that since he had a full day of recording ahead of him, he better eat a nutritous breakfast. And what was more nutritous than Pop Tarts? He ate them while he called Lizzy.

She had just woke up.

"Good morning, boyfriend," she said through the phone. "It's a pretty day."

"Yeah. But not as pretty as you."

He could hear her cluck a little suprisedly in the background. "Carlos Garcia, I'm surprised at you. Being sentimental and sweet at this early hour?"

"No hour is too early!" he exclaimed, in his best superhero voice.

He heard her tinkling laugh resonate throughout her apartment. "Well, I shall be at the pool between 1 and 3 o'clock sharp, this afternoon. Shall I see you there, good sir?"

"Yes, you shall. And I will come laden with fare, so we may eat fine fooderies on this wonderful day. Together. On a date. Our third date."

"Sounds perfect. I'll talk to you later."

Carlos smiled. "OK."

But she didn't hang up. "OK."

"Bye," Carlos replied, breathlessly. He closed his phone.

He sat there for a minute, really not sure to whoop or not. He decided to. It woke Kendall up, obviously, because he came running into the kitchen with a baseball bat in his hands. He skidded to a stop behind the bar.

"What's going on?" he practically yelled. Carlos threw an oven mitt at his face. Kendall stood there for a momentlooking very tired. Too tired to object to Carlos's exuberancy.

"I was just whooping for joy, that's all. Now chill, man!" Carlos told him. He stuffed the rest of his Pop Tart into his face.

"Why would you whoop at 7:15 in the stinkin' morning?"

"Because I'm happy! Why else?" Carlos drank about a half gallon of milk from the carton, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

Kendall blinked. "But why are you happy?"

Carlos could barely contain his excitement at finally being able to tell somebody about Lizzy. "I have a new girlfriend!" he burst out, but it sounded more like, "Eyev noo gurfren!"

Kendall obviously understood though, because after wiping the spewed crumbs from Carlos's mouth off of his face, he clapped him on the shoulder good-naturedly. "Wow, Carlos, that's awesome! Who is she?"

"Elizabeth. Well, Elizabeth slash Aubrey slash Maristella. But I think Elizabeth, Lizzy, fits her best."

Kendall choked on Carlos's other Pop Tart. "You WHAT?"

"Hey man, calm down! She's cool and everything! She's sorry for playing me- ahem, US- like that."

"She may tell you that, but is she really? How do you know?" Kendall exclaimed, beginning to pace. "She's probably recording the whole thing through her earrings or something to show the method acting class."

Carlos immediately began to boil. "You don't know that! I trust her!"

"That's the problem I think, Carlos! You're too trusting! You trust every pretty girl who comes to you with a sweet smile, and blue tearful eyes."

Carlos grinned a little, because Kendall had made him recall how pretty Lizzy's eyes were. Then he shook himself and stood up straight and tall. "I do not," he told Kendall resolutely.

Kendall put his hands up. "I just don't wanna see you get played again, that's all."

For some reason this didn't make Carlos feel better. It made him feel worse.

"Hey, you got played too! It wasn't just me!"

"Yeah, but she really got you. She was just starting with me!"

"And if it weren't for me unsheathing the truth," Carlos cried, savoring the word "unsheathing", "then you would have gotten played much more! Or much better... or somethin'."

Kendall shook his head and laid a hand on Carlos shoulder. "Carlos, little Carlos, you don't understand, do you? I was just out of a relationship. My heart was guarded. Yours was out in the open for anyone to snatch up."

Carlos was fuming. "You didn't seem to guarded when you were chatting her up, _in her apartment_, not a day after you met her," Carlos said angrily. Kendall gave him a curious look.

"I knew what I was doing."

"Yeah? Well, so do I," Carlos said, pushing past Kendall to go and get a shower.

"I didn't mean to offend you or anything," Kendall called after him, but Carlos barely heard him. He stormed into his room, and barely remembered to keep quiet, as James and Logan lay snoozing in their bunks. He tiptoed furiously over to the bathroom, and took his shower.

Kendall wasn't in the living room when Carlos got out. Carlos suspected he had already gone to the studio, and he dreaded the day ahead. Kendall obviously wasn't very bent out of shape over that morning's exchange, but Carlos was really rattled. The fact that old doubts he thought had been laid to rest the night previous were reawakened, made him very jumpy. And suspicious. And they always say, that to sustain a meaningful relationship, trust is number one.

So how on earth could he stay with Lizzy if he didn't trust her? Didn't trust her motives, and her intentions? Thinking made Carlos's head hurt. He jammed his finger onto the elevator down button.

The lobby was pretty much empty. There were a couple of people at the pool, catching the sun's first non-scorching rays, but it was a little early for any real activity. Bitters sat behind his desk, snoozing with his head on a pillow, with a striped blue nightcap on. Carlos rolled his eyes, and walked out.

It was about a 45 minute walk to Rocque Records. So Carlos figured he shouldn't waste time. His feet rythmically pounded the pavement and he took in all the sounds of early morning Hollywood. Mostly cars. Some birds, but not near enough. Calling and jeering and swearing through traffic, Carlos weaved and bobbed in the street til he got to the other side. Sure, people were unfriendly this early, but Carlos didn't take it personal.

He jogged up to the back door of the studio in record time, and threw open the door. Or tried anyway. He hurt his side in the process because it was locked. He pounded on the door for a little while. Then he got bored, and decided even Kelly wasn't there yet. She must have been running late. So he sat down on the concrete stairs and waited.

He thought while he waited, no matter how much he probably shouldn't have.

So he was insecure about his new girlfriend, because he didn't believe she could remain faithful to him while they were an item. No, that wasn't it. He trusted her to be faithful; he knew she wouldn't cheat. So what was he insecure about? The fact that he didn't know whether she was sincere or not. That was it. He felt like he couldn't possibly know if her intentions were innocent or not, and like Kendall said, this could just be another elaborate scheme to present to her class. He trusted her, but he didn't trust her. He REALLY liked her, but he couldn't believe anything she said? That made no sense. Trust comes first, then all the other stuff. So how had Carlos jumped from dislike to complete and utter powerlessness and affection? He could only assume it had been because he never really disliked her. The fact that she was the first girl in ten years who had walked up to him and agreed to go on a date, no matter how crazy it or she was, still meant she had won that corner of his heart that before then, had always been empty. Even after he knew what she had done, he still couldn't boot her out of his heart. She had a nice dwelling there, and she wasn't going anywhere.

When she had presented herself as sincere and genuinly sorry, it had been the only push he needed to hand over his entire heart. She had upgraded from the tiniest corner to the entire place. She had it all. And Carlos didn't regret it. He did feel strongly for her. Love quite yet? Maybe. Maybe not. He just wished he could trust her wholeheartedly. Love was so hard.

The roar of a truck engine jerked Carlos out of his thoughts. Kelly pulled up in her red Ford.

"Carlos!" she called, surprised. Carlos got to his feet and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"I didn't think you'd be here this early," she panted, running up to the door to unlock it.

Carlos shrugged. "Just wanted to get a good start."

Kelly smiled and nodded. "Very good," and opened the door.

The familiar surroundings soothed Carlos's nerves and calmed his frazzled mind. He was very soothed until he remembered he'd be working with Kendall that day. He frowned and folded his arms. Kelly was pouring coffee.

"What's wrong?" she asked him.

"Nothing. Just girl trouble."

"Ah," she nodded. "I get it."

Carlos watched her for a little bit. "Kelly, if you were in love with a guy, or at least you told him you were, and you kissed him all the time and... and everything, would you go back on him? Would you do something you swore you wouldn't?"

Kelly turned around. "If I really loved the guy? Of course I wouldn't. Love is the ultimate self-sacrifice. You want the person you love to be happy, no matter the cost to them. Would this thing I swore not to do benefit me?"

"Probably," Carlos mumbled.

"Hmm. Sounds like you have quite a predicament." Kelly gave him an understanding smile. He smiled crookedly back.

"Just ask her about it. Make sure she knows how you feel. And I'm sure if she really loved you Carlos, she wouldn't hurt you."

"But how do I know she really... loves me?"

Kelly shrugged. "Only time and careful observation can help you with that. Ask yourself what you have to offer, and if she could possibly be using you in some way to get it."

Carlos had thought of that, though. And it didn't really make him feel better.

"OK," he sighed. "Thanks Kelly."

She must have sensed how little help she was, because she blushed a little and said. "Usually, girls don't tell you they love you, unless they really do. I don't think you have much to worry about Carlos. You're not the kinda guy that attracts rotten eggs."

He nodded. "Thanks." Except she hadn't really told him she loved him. Yet. Not really.

A faint bang told them that Gustavo was there. He soon entered followed by the rest of the boys.

"Who's readay to get some recording done?" he bellowed.

Logan barely raised his hand. Other than that, they could've cared less.

"Then let's DO THIS!" Gustavo yelled.

Carlos's voice hurt by the time they had gotten back to the Palm Woods. Kendall immediately pulled Carlos back by the arm, while James went to get into his swimsuit and unwind, and Logan went to find Camille.

Carlos stood in front of him, still a little bit mad. He could hardly remember what for, but he knew there was a reason.

"Look, I'm sorry," Kendall told him. "I just couldn't believe that such a pretty, sweet-seeming girl would pull one like that on two completely unsuspecting teenage boys she had just met. I guess her acting means a lot to her."

Carlos nodded stiffly. "She's living her dream. She never thought she'd make it out here."

Kendall nodded. "She seems really driven and passionate and I know you must love that about her."

"I do," Carlos replied.

Kendall scratched his head. "I'm not gonna stop you of course. You can be with whoever the heck you wanna be with. Just... be careful."

Carlos let his shoulders drop and his fists unclench. "Thanks. I know I have to be careful. We'll see where it goes." He shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant about the whole thing. Kendall gave him an encouraging smile.

"So?" Carlos prodded, folding his arms, and giving Kendall a look. "How's Caitlin?"

Kendall blushed deeply, from his neck, up his face to his hairline.

"So it's like THAT," Carlos chuckled. He clapped Kendall on the shoulder. "You have fun with that."

He could've sworn Kendall mumbled, "I am," as he walked away. He had enough time to remember he was meeting said love of his life at the pool in 20 minutes. He skipped off happily to change.

**:) Like it? Love it? TELL ME! I love hearing from you guys! And I love you guys too! Your reviews are cool and all but you're all the real superstars. ;)**

**Til next time. ^-^**

**xoxo**

**~Starbucks**


	11. Chapter 11

**So here it be! The final chappie! Hope you like it! And to everyone who kept up on this one, favorited, alerted, and especially reviewed, I love you VERY much, and am VERY grateful. :D**

Elizabeth wasn't at the pool when she said she'd be. Carlos had no idea what could be keeping her. She had given HIM the time. So he sat down on a beach chair and waited for her.

Something caught his attention a few feet away. James, also lounging on a chair, his arm free of girl. Carlos was seeing the rare single James. He decided to go and get a closer look.

He strolled up to James, perfectly intent on asking him exactly where his hot girlfriend had gone. You know, the hot girlfriend that had been the reason that Carlos had gone on his own girlfriend expedition in the first place.

"James."

James pulled his shades off and gave Carlos a look.

"You're blocking my sun," he said snootily, and settled further down in his chair.

"What happened to your pretty girlfriend? The one you kept bringing over to 2J?"

"Oh her?" James shrugged. "We broke up like three days ago."

"But you were only dating for a week!"

"Yeah, well... she just wasn't my type."

"James, are any of them your type? Really?" Carlos folded his arms.

James shrugged. "I keep telling myself that the right girl will come along. Eventually."

Carlos gaped. The fact that he tossed girlfriends in the trash like used tissues really didn't make sense to him, not when he valued every single girl willing to go out with him like a rare gem.

"Maybe James..." Carlos scratched his chin, not entirely comfortable with what he was about to say, "Maybe you could get the right girl if you would give these... these 'relationships' more than a week."

"So what are you saying? Are you saying that I'm flighty?" James asked him, sitting up in his chair.

Carlos nodded his head a little to the side indecisively, before he finally said, "Yeah. I am, buddy."

James pondered for a minute. "It would be nice to have a steady girlfriend. Someone to always be there..."

Carlos couldn't help but wonder how long him and Lizzy would last. I mean, it had started in a whirlwind and he had no idea if it was genuine or not. This thing, this connection they had, the constant fighting, the on and off feelings, Carlos couldn't think straight...

"...someone I can lean on, you know. Something lasting."

"Yeah..." Carlos said somewhat distractedly.

Carlos had a lot to think about. He vaguely recalled saying goodbye to James, and that James sent him off talking to himself and combing his hair, before he walked away, back up to his apartment, to the safety of his bunk, and the quiet of an empty house.

Everyone was out for the day doing something. Carlos was the only one who had soul-searching to do.

He must have been tired, because he couldn't seem to keep his eyes open. He drifted off to sleep, and had a very strange dream, one that he couldn't remember when he woke up. He knew it must have been very early morning when he woke up because the sun made the sky look all dewy and fresh. Carlos tried to remember what it was that had been so important, so worth all his time and trouble but he just couldn't get it. He couldn't remember. It wasn't until he climbed in the shower and the hot water woke him up that he recalled. He had forgotten about Lizzy and just gone to bed. In the middle of the afternoon, and had slept all night.

He didn't even wanna think about how mad she'd be. Either that or she'd be crying and break up with him. He got dressed extra slowly to postpone the judgment.

There wasn't anyone awake except Mrs. Knight when he slid down the slide. Everything was quiet except for the clink-clank of her metal spoon on her mug. Carlos sat down on a bar stool and rubbed his eyes. Mrs. Knight looked up groggily.

"Oh. Good morning, sweetheart." She patted him on the cheek. He yawned.

"Do you want me to make you some breakfast?" she continued, wandering off into the living room. Carlos frowned.

"Well, sure, but don't you have to be in the kitchen to make it?"

Mrs. Knight turned around. Then she laughed. "Oh yeah, I guess I do. Sorry, I'm not used to having any of you kids awake this early. It takes me a while to wake up." She smiled at him, and pulled out a box of pancake mix.

He smiled back, but he didn't feel the smile. It was like he had put on a mask. He knew exactly why he felt the way that he did, and that was a first. It was because he STILL had doubts. Nothing she ever did, and nothing he ever did, would change them. That first heartbreak had been it. And no matter how intoxicating her kisses were, or how much Carlos loved her, there would always be some deep sense of distrust, some feeling that he would never really know what to expect. Or at least, at 6 in the morning, with nobody but a half-asleep Mama Knight to talk to, it sure felt pretty darn hopeless.

He ate his pancakes, but his mouth was dry. He tried to act cheerful, in the hopes he could fool himself, but it didn't work. He left the apartment feeling horrible, and dreading the hour that he would have to face his girlfriend.

Carlos didn't do anything much til 8 o'clock, which was when he knew Lizzy would come downstairs to work out. She walked out of the stairwell right on time, and Carlos gulped as he saw her head straight for him.

"Good morning," she said tonelessly.

Carlos didn't say anything.

She cleared her throat. "Would you mind, telling me exactly where you were last night?"

Carlos shuffled his feet. "I was sleeping."

He could picture the look on her face. She would slap him, he was sure of it. He braced himself.

"Are you OK? Are you sick?" she asked in a concerned voice. He opened one eye. She was serious.

"Oh! No, well, I'm OK now, I think..."

"Well how did you feel last night? Feverish? Clammy?" She laid her hand across his forehead. He was steadily feeling worse and worse. She trusted him. Wholeheartedly. She didn't think bad of him, and she didn't even blame him. She didn't think he was lazy, and she wasn't upset in the slightest, except if he was feeling sick. She was just too good for him. He didn't know what he should say.

"No, just tired." He took her hand. "But I'm OK now." He smiled sadly. She smiled back.

"Is everything OK Carlos?"

He took a deep breath. "I don't know. I have to figure some stuff out. Then I think it will be."

She hugged him. He held her very tightly.

"I'm here for you no matter what. Remember that, kay?"

"Kay."

She pecked him on the lips, and gave his hand a final squeeze before she walked off towards the gym.

"Meet me back here at noon?" she called behind her. "And if you're tired, just tell me." She waved.

Carlos turned away halfheartedly. He would have to tell her sometime. Sometime soon, because he couldn't deal with this indecision.

He was sitting down in the lobby at noon on the dot, completely unsure. How would he start the conversation that could possibly end the longest relationship he had ever had?

"Hey Lizzy, I just wanted to tell you something. No, no no, before you say anything else, let me talk..." He shook his head. "Too pushy." He cleared his throat. "Hey Liz, can I talk to you for a sec?" Too easy, too simple and much too obvious. He rubbed his hands together. "Lizzy, I need to talk to-"

"Carlos."

"AHHHHH!" He screamed, and leaped up onto one of the chairs, holding his hands out in a karate chop position.

Lizzy mirrored him exactly, the expression on her face perfectly serious.

"Lizzy! I thought..."

"What's the matter?" She kissed him and stood back expectantly.

He was sweating. "Well, nothing too horrible. I just have to talk to you. About something. Something that..." He took a deep breath. "Really can't wait."

She nodded. "Okay. Talk. I'm listening." She sat down.

Carlos fidgeted with his hands. "Liz, I feel so... bad about having to say this."

Her face dropped. "What do you mean?"

"I just mean that what I'm about to tell you is probably not going to make you really happy."

"You're breaking up with me?" she exclaimed, jumping to her feet.

"NO! No, I'm definitely no-"

"I should've known something was up, you've been acting so weird! The spark is gone, I mean I thought it was there but I didn't know you didn't feel that way, and how long has this been coming? We've only been dating two days, well three days if you count that evening, but I wasn't-"

"Lizzy!"

"What?" she sobbed.

"I'm not breaking up with you. I would never... never do that. Look," he said, taking both of her hands in his. "I consider myself the lucky one here. You have nothing to worry about."

She sniffed. "Then what did you wanna say?"

"I just need you to reassure me of something. And don't get offended, because I know how it's gonna sound. It's gonna make me look like a jerk, and I just don't want you to jump to anything, OK?"

"OK," she replied, wiping her nose.

He hesitated a moment on how to begin what he had to say. "Liz... I know this is completely... weird and must seem like it's coming out of NOWHERE right now... but I have to get this straight. For my sake," he added. Don't beat around the bush, just say it. It's not gonna get any easier.

She nodded, a little hesitantly.

"Liz, I have to know you're not playing me again." He said it very fast, and shut his eyes when he was finished. His past experience with women told him what he had to do to protect himself. He was slightly reassured by his helmet, which he was holding in his hands.

He didn't dare look up until at least 10 seconds of silence had passed. She didn't look like she wanted to kill him. She didn't look furious or even mad in the slightest. Nope. She just looked sad, like get a phone call expecting a job interview and find out your puppy was run over sad. Like Christmas morning and only coal in the stocking sad. Like find a hundred dollar bill on the sidewalk and pick it up to see it's only a half a hundred dollar bill sad. He couldn't understand.

She turned away, and Carlos grabbed her hand, but it slipped out of his grasp. She didn't attempt to replace it.

"I'm an idiot," she mumbled. But that made no sense, so Carlos questioned his hearing by asking her, "What?"

"I'm an idiot." She faced him. Her eyes were red, but no tears yet. Carlos kept his fingers crossed. She rubbed her forehead. "It's ridiculous how one mistake can haunt you over and over. And over... and over and over."

"Just tell me the truth. That's all I'm asking. Don't beat yourself up. Just don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying to you!" She placed a hand on her chest. "I swear, I wouldn't hurt you like that again! You have got to believe me!"

Carlos bit his lip. Did he believe her? It felt that way. There was that look in her eye, and he was pretty sure she wasn't lying. So, yeah. That was good.

But she was really worked up. How to get her to calm down...?

"I believe you." He took a deep breath as he felt that door begin to close.

"No you don't," she wailed. And it was open again.

"I do, Lizzy, I really do. Don't cry!" He held her hands and kissed her head. "I promise I believe you and I promise we _are_ clean now. Clean record. I won't talk about it anymore. Promise, promise." Carlos crossed his heart.

She sniffled. "Really?"

"Really."

She smiled a little. "OK."

"OK?" he asked her, lifting her chin and looking into her eyes.

She wiped away her tears. "Yeah. I believe you. I trust you Carlos."

Carlos breathed out deeply. The door clicked softly in his mind. "Good."

"And Carlos I- I love you."

It almost sounded like a question, like she was asking permission to be in love with him. It was so precious, that moment, of her uncertainty. It reminded him of how vulnerable she was, how good they were for each other. They could help each other, they could hold each other. And in that moment, Carlos was shocked to realize that he really had found perfection. It might last days or weeks, or months, or God allow, years to a lifetime. But what he had right then... it was perfect. She was perfect. And he loved her right back. So he said what his heart had been aching to say ever since the first time he had seen her.

"I love you."

Was it a perfect Hollywood ending? No, but who the heck wants that?

:**) Hope you loved it. I smiled when I finished. Such a fluffy story. ^-^**

**Review and tell me your final thoughts! **

**xxo**

**~Starbucks**


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